Following after Jesus #66

Mark's account of the Feeding of the  20,000 is the most detailed of the Gospels:

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Since this is the only non-resurrection event recorded by all four Gospel writers, we have a lot of details to compare and contrast, like whose idea was it to go and buy bread, to go and see how much food was on hand, and to go and bring it to Jesus.  Mark fills in those details as the most extensive passage, possibly for this reason: He wrote for Peter, who remembered this event for how many ways the disciples were humbled by it. They thought they had arrived when they preached to crowds and performed miracles, but now were unable to handle the first challenge they came to. They thought they were doing Jesus a favor by taking Him away from the crowds for a time, when He was doing it for them. They failed to see the problem coming till late in the day, when He had foreseen it right away. They asked questions as a way of making excuses, while He asked them to help them find the solutions.  There Peter was, holding His basket, once again in awe of Jesus, and humbled by the privilege to serve Him while serving others. How will we allow Christ to teach us a little humility today? 

Following after Jesus #65

Matthew has the most concise version of the feeding of the 20,000: 

13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. 

As we saw yesterday, compassion was the name of the game with Christ.  As He grieved over the death of John the Baptist, He did not become self-consumed. As soon as He saw the crown, He had compassion on them. Matthew emphasizes not His teaching, but His healing.  The words and actions of His disciples show that for their great progress in being able to teach, heal and cast out demons, they still had a long way to go in Compassion Class; their attitude was: "let them fend for themselves." Very Darwinian of them. Then in the middle of the passage we have that all-important phrase "But Jesus...". Just like when we read in scripture: "But God...", this indicates He is about to do something profound and life-changing. Jesus said, "No; if you are my disciples, you need to see this as your problem - better - your opportunity." But they object: "We only have this much food; we only have this much money; we only have a little time." This is exactly where they needed to be - exactly where we need to be: however much we have, in the way of time, resources, ability or experience is not enough. We will always need Him more.  So, He says: "give Me the resources; give Me the "problem"; give Me control; give Me your service, and this will all turn out well. Everyone - all twenty thousand, including men, women and children, and all twelve of their baskets were filled.  Compassion is not squandering or even spending; it is investing in God's will. 

Following after Jesus #64

Jesus was becoming more and more well-known, especially after Jesus had sent His apostles out two by two to preach and to heal. Mark continues in chapter 6:
30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

Besides setting the stage for the next great event, this paragraph tells us something about Jesus. He was a Man, and also God the Son, filled with compassion.  He really cared about people. The paragraph before this tells us how John the Baptist had died, and receiving that news really affected Jesus; He grieved over him; He cared about him not just as His forerunner, but as a man and fellow minister of God's Word. Here in the words we have read, we see He also had compassion on the Apostles, after their busy ministry journey; He wanted them to "come away and rest." So they did, but then the crowds showed up once again. Their retreat was cut short, but Jesus was not aggravated; once again He had compassion on them. He really cared about their needs - especially their need for salvation and spiritual deliverance. So He taught them. The other Gospel writers tell us He was also healing their illnesses. How do we look at people? Do we view them as competitors, incompetent, and constant pests? Or do we view them with compassion, like Jesus did?

Following after Jesus #63

We pick up where we left off yesterday in Mark 6:

7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. 

14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 

The name of Jesus of Nazareth was becoming a household name, not only in Galilee, but throughout all of Israel.  This was accelerated when He sent out the twelve, two by two, preaching and healing in His name. Word was travelling fast because Jesus' disciples were traveling light, and they were not staying in places like Nazareth, where people were not receptive to the truth. We note one again Mark's emphasis on Jesus authority over the unclean spirits that had been haunting in the background. Well something was haunting King Herod as well. When he kept hearing about Jesus from reports all over his kingdom, guilt was filling his heart and mind. The passage goes on to describe this last statement we read: “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” Herod had blood on his hands, and he feared that John the Baptist, or at least the spirit of John the Baptist, had come back to haunt him. That's of course because both John and Jesus preached the necessity of repentance, and to repent was something Herod, and many others were, and are, not willing to do. They would rather remain in their guilt. How about you?

Following after Jesus #62

Jesus had been going around teaching, healing, and driving out demons. After being asked to leave the place where He had commanded the demons out of the man and into the pigs, Mark says this happened:
He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.

Which is worse: asking Jesus to leave, or having Him throw up His hands and walk away? I've wondered at times what it might be like to go back to places where I grew up and be a pastor there: would it work? Would they be able to see the ways that I had changed? Would they be able to accept God's call on my life? Would they listen to what I had to say?  For Jesus, people were shocked by His ability to unfold the scriptures in the synagogue, but they could not get past the fact that He was one of them; they could not stop seeing Him as "the carpenter". They took offense, they stumbled over who they thought Him to be. Then there is verse 5: 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. But wait, Jesus can do anything, yet here it says He was not able to do any mighty works there. Why? They would not believe in Him. Jesus had done nothing to disqualify himself. He did not have some wild, sinful past people could not forget; He was not some self-righteous arrogant Pharisee people had no interest in being like; He was rejected because people refused to believe Who He really was. He did some signs, some miracles, but people refused to receive them as evidence that what He said was to be accepted and trusted.  What we believe about Jesus will affect what we see Him do in our lives. 

Following after Jesus #61

After the dramatic event with the pigs plunging off the cliff into the sea, Jesus returned to His headquarters in Capernaum, teaching, healing, and forgiving sins. Matthew gives event after event, like in chapter 9:

27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
32 As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

It's all in the attitude.  These two blind men were crying out "Have mercy on us!" It's a study in itself just going through the Gospels looking at every time that happened: people calling out to Christ for mercy. He then brings up the question: "Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They do, and He does. He then says: "Just try to keep this a secret." Not a chance.  People who are truly changed by Christ cannot keep it a secret. They have to tell someone; these men wanted to tell everyone. I love the set-up Matthew notes here: "as they were going away." It was like a doctor's office; people coming and going all day long. This man was brought to Jesus being oppressed by a demon. His case does not seem to be as bad as what they had seen in Gadara, but then again, they are back in Israel. This man could not speak, but once healed by Jesus, he could, and he could praise God just like the two blind men did.  Here's another response to study: "Never was anything like this seen in Israel." Look at all the times people respond that way to what Jesus does. But here's the attitude check. The Pharisees see the exact opposite. Their foredrawn conclusions and predetermined self-righteousness interpret this as the work of darkness, a totally illogical and erroneous thought process.  So, how are you going to approach Jesus today? Coming honestly with your need? Or acting like you don't need Him at all, like you're just fine the way you are? It makes all the difference. 

Following after Jesus #60

After the incident with the deliverance of the men with demons, which went into the pigs and over the hillside, Jesus and His disciples went back to the other side of the sea, where He was once again greeted with great crowds. (For those of you following the calendar the next event will be covered later this month.) In the middle of Jesus going to Jairus' home to heal his daughter, Mark tells us this happened: 

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

You'll recall that Jesus had been putting his disciples through increasingly fearful situations to test and strengthen their faith. While they struggled to keep up, He also exposed them to people like this, whose faith was immediately evident and challenging. This woman is another example of desperation. She had exhausted every medical option, tried every home remedy, and been taken advantage of by every traveling quack who came along.  She had lost all her money and was about to lose all hope.  Her condition, like many, made her ceremonially unclean, so she was in this alone; no one was there to help her, unlike the girl whose healing she was interrupting. So she gets just close enough to touch Jesus. She truly believes it is Him in Whom she will find hope. Jesus did one of those things that drove His disciples nuts. They could not wait to see Him heal this famous man's daughter.  But Jesus stops and asks: "Who touched my garments?" He would not move on until someone confessed. But guess what: Jesus already knew who she was. He just knew for her sake, and for the witness to her fellow citizens, she needed to come forward. So she did.  Now he can say to her, but for His followers and those around: "Your faith has made you well." Here He speaks after she has already been healed, confirming what she already knew: Jesus was her healer.