Matthew 14
After I started to read the Bible on a consistent basis I started to notice some things about the stories...I didn't really get it at first...it was sort of like, the stories just seemed more clear to me...then I began to understand that the Holy Spirit reveals things! If you have had this happen to you, you will understand what I mean. The more you read...the more you get out of reading. Stories that you have either heard in church, or you have read in the Bible previously, sometimes just become so much more clear as to the setting of the event...time of day...or the political climate of the day...the sort of background nformation that makes the story much more vivid and therefore...valuable in learning more about God...and our relationship with Him.
Jesus feeds the 5,000
21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. Think of it this way...Jesus had just performed an incredible miracle of feeding, what, maybe...25,000-30,000 people...and this, from five loaves of bread and a couple of fish...it's getting toward dark and these people are unlikely to leave as they would want to see and hear more from Jesus...these folks ain't going anywhere...they know what they just saw, and they know that this must be the promised Messiah prophesied in Jewish Scripture...
I, mean, come on...if this is the promised Messiah...the promised One who will restore the Kingdom of the Promised Land...the King of the Jews! They are going to hang around and see what happens next.
Jesus knew what they were thinking..."we'll take Him (by force if necessary) and make Him our King!" But Jesus knew it was not yet His time...He also knew that unless He and the Apostles left, that those there would remain, and no doubt grow in number, as word of the miracle spread...so He sent the Apostles on up ahead while He went off by Himself to pray...
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowd. 23 After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
When you read the beginning verse 22 of this section it is easy to gloss over what the phrase means...seemingly just a sort of innocuous word, or statement that doesn't really tell us much...but in actuality, it tells us a great deal...it's easy to miss things sometimes...what about that word "immediately"?...it's there for a reason...used at the start of a verse it is referring back to a just previous event for some purpose...”Immediately” refers to the fact that just prior to this Jesus had just fed what the Bible refers to the “5,000”.
So, as you can see, even before we get into the story of Jesus (and Peter) walking on the water we have learned that that one word “Immediately” leads us to understand why Jesus sent the Apostles ahead. The Apostles and Jesus left so that the people would go back to their homes. After He dismissed them, likely with a word about love and repentence...Jesus, as was His custom after, or before, a big event went off by Himself to pray...no doubt, giving us more guidance regarding how we should pray..."go into your secret place and pray to your Father Who is in Heaven..." (Mt. 6:6 paraphrased)
It's good to spend time alone with God...find a quiet place away from the world's distractions...sit...kneel...lay down...whatever you feel is right...and just get quiet for a while...take that bill that you can't pay...that problem at work...that fight with your spouse...take them all and just give them over to the Lord...He wants to take them from you...He died on the cross so you could give Him your problems...spend more time listening than talking...just pray to be in His will in your life and then just sit back and wait...listen for His guidance...then watch Him work in your life...
He has a plan for you..."For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Jesus feeds the 5,000
21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. Think of it this way...Jesus had just performed an incredible miracle of feeding, what, maybe...25,000-30,000 people...and this, from five loaves of bread and a couple of fish...it's getting toward dark and these people are unlikely to leave as they would want to see and hear more from Jesus...these folks ain't going anywhere...they know what they just saw, and they know that this must be the promised Messiah prophesied in Jewish Scripture...
I, mean, come on...if this is the promised Messiah...the promised One who will restore the Kingdom of the Promised Land...the King of the Jews! They are going to hang around and see what happens next.
Jesus knew what they were thinking..."we'll take Him (by force if necessary) and make Him our King!" But Jesus knew it was not yet His time...He also knew that unless He and the Apostles left, that those there would remain, and no doubt grow in number, as word of the miracle spread...so He sent the Apostles on up ahead while He went off by Himself to pray...
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowd. 23 After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
When you read the beginning verse 22 of this section it is easy to gloss over what the phrase means...seemingly just a sort of innocuous word, or statement that doesn't really tell us much...but in actuality, it tells us a great deal...it's easy to miss things sometimes...what about that word "immediately"?...it's there for a reason...used at the start of a verse it is referring back to a just previous event for some purpose...”Immediately” refers to the fact that just prior to this Jesus had just fed what the Bible refers to the “5,000”.
So, as you can see, even before we get into the story of Jesus (and Peter) walking on the water we have learned that that one word “Immediately” leads us to understand why Jesus sent the Apostles ahead. The Apostles and Jesus left so that the people would go back to their homes. After He dismissed them, likely with a word about love and repentence...Jesus, as was His custom after, or before, a big event went off by Himself to pray...no doubt, giving us more guidance regarding how we should pray..."go into your secret place and pray to your Father Who is in Heaven..." (Mt. 6:6 paraphrased)
It's good to spend time alone with God...find a quiet place away from the world's distractions...sit...kneel...lay down...whatever you feel is right...and just get quiet for a while...take that bill that you can't pay...that problem at work...that fight with your spouse...take them all and just give them over to the Lord...He wants to take them from you...He died on the cross so you could give Him your problems...spend more time listening than talking...just pray to be in His will in your life and then just sit back and wait...listen for His guidance...then watch Him work in your life...
He has a plan for you..."For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Out on the lake at night...how's your faith?
23 After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. Later that night, He was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
As with the Apostles, our relationship with Jesus is based solely on our level of faith. Remember, that these same Apostles who had seen an incrdible miracle just a few hours before, were now terrified that the Image before them was a ghost...no, doubt, it never entered their minds that this same Jesus, who had less than 12 hours before performed an incredible miracle...was the "ghost" walking on the lake...when it was simply Jesus exercising His power over nature...how often have we felt God's power directly on our lives only to forget about that power after only few days...or even a few hours later...when we take our eyes off of Jesus...
As with the Apostles, our relationship with Jesus is based solely on our level of faith. Remember, that these same Apostles who had seen an incrdible miracle just a few hours before, were now terrified that the Image before them was a ghost...no, doubt, it never entered their minds that this same Jesus, who had less than 12 hours before performed an incredible miracle...was the "ghost" walking on the lake...when it was simply Jesus exercising His power over nature...how often have we felt God's power directly on our lives only to forget about that power after only few days...or even a few hours later...when we take our eyes off of Jesus...
What happens when we take our eyes off Jesus?
28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." 29 "Come," He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. "You of little faith," He said, "why did you doubt?" 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."
"Truly you are the Son of God"...He only was able to save Peter on that dark and violent lake...and only He can save me...and you...make no mistake...Peter did the right thing...he said "Lord, save me!" Have you said it yet? "Lord, save me!"...if not, please do it today...do it right now...turn your life over to Jesus...turn away from your sinful life...as the Bible says..."pass from death to life"...don't do like so many others who didn't say "Lord, save me" before going down that last time into the dark and murky depths of an eternity in the abyss...don't wait...you don't know if you have a tomorrow...you are in my prayers...Blessings
"Truly you are the Son of God"...He only was able to save Peter on that dark and violent lake...and only He can save me...and you...make no mistake...Peter did the right thing...he said "Lord, save me!" Have you said it yet? "Lord, save me!"...if not, please do it today...do it right now...turn your life over to Jesus...turn away from your sinful life...as the Bible says..."pass from death to life"...don't do like so many others who didn't say "Lord, save me" before going down that last time into the dark and murky depths of an eternity in the abyss...don't wait...you don't know if you have a tomorrow...you are in my prayers...Blessings