February 14, 2013
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 15:29-31
OBSERVATIONS
It was the needy, the hurting, the desperate that flocked to Jesus. Is that any different today? People who are content, happy, settled, healthy, wealthy, in a good place, etc. may tolerate Jesus, but they don’t want Him to get to close to their own personal lives. He might upset things… He has a habit of doing that.
The people who see all this, who witness Jesus changing lives, are themselves blessed. Who can blame them, these are amazing signs and wonders. They praise the God of Israel because it is His promised Messiah that is doing these things.
I think this is how the kingdom ought to come. Jesus followers demonstrating the love of God like Jesus is radical, dramatic and wonderful ways, and people seeing it at praising God for it (Matthew 5:16). Sadly, it doesn’t seem to be working this way. In fact, it is working the opposite way.
What do you notice in this passage?
APPLICATION
Christians have been such poor examples of love (huge generalization, there are exceptions) throughout history, that often the needy, hurting and desperate avoid God, Jesus and the church so as to not get hurt more,. And how many sceptics and atheists reject or curse God because of all the bad things religious people (including Christians) do.
We should not do good deeds to improve our standing or reputation, but we should do good deeds as a way of expressing our gratitude to God, freely sharing the blessing of grace with others, and pointing people to the amazing grace and generosity of God.
We also do good (bless and help the needy, hurting and desperate) because this is what we were made for, this is the heart of God’s will (law), this is how God’s Universe was created to operate, what it truly means to be human.
Are people praising God because of us, because of our church’s presence and blessing in the neighbourhood? Are people sensing something different in us, in me, at work or school or among our neighbours?
This is how God’s kingdom comes, this is how Jesus revealed and established God’s kingdom, this is how we are called to live saved, kingdom lives.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
God, forgive us, forgive me, for giving You a bad Name. May those who are avoiding or cursing You because of bad experiences with Christians meet someone who will show them what You are really like. May I be that someone.
Jesus follower
trying to find His way
Why did Jesus do what he did? In these verses we understand one reason. People are brought to him, and he heals them out of compassion. It is interesting that Matthew notes that people praised the God of Israel. So some teaching must have gone along with the healing. If Jesus was saying that he healed the people, then people would be praising him. Did Jesus tell people that they were healed in the name of God? I just found this phrase interesting.
People followed him, and stayed with him for a long time – 3 days, without much food with them. Jesus again had compassion for the crowds. Knowing that some would have trouble getting home without collapsing, Jesus provided them with a meal (again???) Is this a retelling of the story, or did this event happen twice. If this was the second occurrence, then the disciples should have known the drill and expected the unexpected. Jesus provided for a need, and in this miracle, reduced the calamity that could have occurred if he just slipped away, or if he sent them off.
Then Jesus got into the boat and moved on. Jesus ministry is not a ministry to one location. He moved around the country. Why did he do this? Could he not have had a ministry centered out of Nazareth, or Jerusalem? He could have had people come to see him, and have a revival healing service each day. But he went out to the people. He may have been able to have a broader affect with this method of ministry. One thing it tells me is that I should hang out with people where they are at. Ministry is everywhere, at home, at family’s houses, at the mall, grocery store, and at work.
I pray that I can have compassion when needed, and that I can use this compassion to help people in small but meaningful ways.