Mark 6:45-52
When there are problems and difficulties in our life, it’s comforting to know that we have a friend to be there with us. Sometimes, in our darkest and most difficult hours we need someone, but the friends disappear. We’re invisible to them. Or perhaps there is nothing anyone can do. In our reading today from Mark’s Gospel, the disciples are in a predicament, their struggle seems hopeless, and there’s no one to help them. As we shall see, though, Jesus does see them. He does care, and He will help.
After Jesus’s miraculous feeding of five thousand men, in addition to women and children, He told His disciples to get into their boat and cross the Sea of Galilee to the other side while He was going to pray to the Father by Himself (vs 45-46). Jesus often went off alone to pray by Himself. Being in frequent prayer will help us to stay in the will of God. It will also renew our strength, and help us to develop a deeper love for God.
In the meantime, the disciples had taken the boat, and set off to cross the body of water. Jesus had instructed them to sail over to the city of Bethsaida, which was located along the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. These men were familiar with sailing, most having grown up around the lake, and many were professional fishermen. Tonight, however, the winds were against them, and try as hard as they could with rowing, they were getting nowhere (vs 48). With the wind as strong as it was, who knew if one of those dangerous storms may not suddenly whip up? How would they ever get to their destination safely?
How many times have we found ourselves in some rather difficult situations? They may not be life-threatening problems, but are certainly distressing. Perhaps it is serious financial problems. Maybe a critical problem in our house, with our car, or at work. Whatever it is, we are struggling with it and getting nowhere by ourselves. Is there anyone out there to help us, or are we all alone?
Where was Jesus through all of this? He had gone off to pray. The entire east side of the Sea of Galilee is mountainous with steep slopes. As Jesus sat there, He looked down and saw the disciples struggling against the wind (vs 48). Jesus saw them! Even in the middle of the night, while being in prayer to the Father, He was not oblivious to their problems. He cared about everything they were going through, including the difficulty they were having in rowing against the wind, and getting to their destination.
Jesus not only saw them and their problem, He cared enough to come to rescue them. The Scriptures say that He came to them, walking upon the water. He did not need another boat to get to them. As the Divine Creator of everything, the water could be as solid as rock if He wished it to be. The disciples were surprised to see Jesus coming to them, but they shouldn’t have been. He is always there when we are in trouble and need Him. They may have lost sight of Jesus, but He never lost sight of them! When we are in deep water, Jesus knows and cares!
Why were the disciples so greatly amazed beyond measure? They had just seen the multiplying of the loaves and fishes the day before. In the last few weeks they had witnessed many miracles, including Him heal a woman from a long-time, chronic illness, raise a young girl from death, cast out a legion of demons from a man, and silence a storm that threatened to destroy them on this very sea. Yet they still did not understand that He was the Messiah, the Son of God (vs 51-52).
When our own problems and fears seem to overwhelm us, do we deal with them ourselves, or do we let Jesus handle it? Jesus is all that we need. Just as He came up beside the disciples in the middle of the night, He comes up to us in our time of fear and apprehension, and tells us to take courage and be of good cheer!
Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16
What do others see when they look at us? Can our co-workers and neighbors see a difference in our behavior from that of others? Would they know we were a Christian, even if we didn’t tell them? In our Scripture passage today, Paul exhorts the church in Ephesus on their Christian walk.
Paul’s testimony as a Christian was so strong, it landed him in prison for Jesus, which was where he was when he wrote this (vs 1). Our daily conduct and living should match our profession, which is what he exhorts his readers here. We are to live in a manner that honors and pleases God. Others are watching us. Can they see Christ in us?
Paul goes on to list a few virtues that should be evident in our lives as believers (vs 2-3). We should show lowliness or humility in our conduct. Our treatment of others should exhibit gentleness, being mild-spirited and self-controlled, patient, and peaceful.
One key word that Paul used twice in this passage is “unity” (vs 3, 13). So often in our churches we have squabbling between members, and also animosity between different groups of believers. The Bible says we are to have unity. The Church, which is composed of every true believer, is one body in Christ, so there should be unity. We all have the same hope of our eternal inheritance (vs 4). The one faith Christians have is the true doctrine revealed in the New Testament (vs 5). There should be unity among ourselves, as the God we each proclaim and worship, if we are holding to that true New Testament doctrine, is one God. He is above or over all with His overruling care. He is through all, active and present in the world and believers (vs 6).
Each believer has unique spiritual gifts that God has given according to His will and design (vs 7-13). God assigned them, we don’t pick them. Our differing gifts are to help the Church, to build unity, focusing on God, not ourselves. The gifts God gave the Church is for equipping, or leading Christians from sin to obedience. They are also for spiritual edification, nurturing, and development of the Church (vs 12). We should use our gifts to strengthen and encourage others. Some can do one thing, some another. We can do more for Christ together than by ourselves. Use our talents and abilities in God’s service.
Unity, oneness, and harmony among believers is a wonderful goal, but it is only possible when it is built on the foundation of sound doctrine. Spiritually immature believers who are not well-grounded in the sound doctrine of the Word will fall victim to beguiling heresies and doctrinal error by deceitful false teachers (vs 14). Believers need to get into and study the Word of God, and thus learn discernment as to what is and what isn’t sound doctrine. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you into truth. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). We must be committed to the truth! When we teach and instruct others spiritual truth, remember that it is best accepted when given in love (vs 15).
In closing, remember who you belong to. If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, we are part of His family. Behave like His children. Also, remember that as we study and stay in the Word of God, it will keep us steady in this shifting world. God’s Word never changes (Isaiah 40:8).
Psalm 114
When God does something wonderful and mighty in our life we want to shout for joy. We might be rejoicing so much that we feel that all of nature is rejoicing with us too. In our Psalm reading for today the author remembers one of God’s most mighty miracles of deliverance, and how, not only did the people rejoice, but nature did as well.
The glorious event that the psalmist is recounting here is God’s deliverance of His people from their captivity in Egypt. They had been slaves of the Egyptians for several hundred years. Then, through God’s powerful hand, He brought them forth out of bondage (Exodus 13:3). Then, as the people were making their escape, they come upon a barrier, the Red Sea. This is no problem for God, as He divides the water to the right and left, allowing the people to walk across on dry ground (Exodus 14:21-22). Nature obeys when the Creator speaks.
Shortly afterwards God leads them to the base of Mt. Sinai, where He gives Moses the Law, another momentous event for the people. When the Lord God came down to deliver His Word to Moses, the mountain quaked or trembled at His presence (Exodus 19:18-19). Several times during the wilderness wanderings God miraculously provided the people with water from a rock (Exodus 17:3-7; Numbers 20:11). There was also a second time where God parted the waters for His people to pass over, and this time it was at the Jordan River. Forty years after their deliverance from Egypt, the people were on the banks of the Jordan, ready to enter the Promised Land. God provided another miracle by parting the waters of the river (Joshua 3:1-17).
Nature was going against the natural order at the command of God, in response to His Word. The psalmist spoke out and asked the waters of the sea and river why they acted as they did. He asked the mountains why they moved. It was a rhetorical question, as he knew the response. They moved as they did both in obedience to God’s command, and also they were leaping for joy in response to His great power and glory. The psalmist knew that even the most fixed of geographic features cannot resist God’s power and will. Even with all of our scientific advances, we cannot control nature. Only God can do that. From the mountains to the oceans, all is in His hands. Their majesty is a tribute to His glory and power.
What should our response be when God moves in a mighty way in our life, and we see His majesty displayed in nature? Our psalmist today advises us to not only give Him praise, but to also tremble (vs 7). We should tremble, or show a holy fear before God, both because of the overwhelming glory of His presence, and because of ours and all of mankind’s sinfulness. For born-again believers, there is also joy in His presence. Just as all of nature does, we should fall before Him in adoration and worship.
II Kings 2:1-15
After Jesus, I would have to say that Elijah is my favorite person of the Bible. He faithfully preached and served the Lord in the northern Kingdom of Israel during a time of great apostasy, where the overwhelming majority of the people actively worshipped Baal and other pagan gods. God’s answer to Elijah’s prayer in opposition to the pagan priests on Mt. Carmel is one of the most exciting and victorious passages in Scripture. In our passage today we will read of God taking Elijah bodily to heaven.
Elijah knew that his time here on earth was short, so he and his protege, Elisha, began to journey towards the Jordan River. As they traveled they went from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho (vs 1-6). Along the way Elijah tried to get Elisha to stay behind so he could make this final journey alone. Elisha, however, knew that Elijah would be taken and he insisted on accompanying him.
At both Bethel and Jericho there were gatherings of the “sons of the prophets”. The sons of the prophets were a group of true servants and ministers of Yahweh, who resided in both of these cities. This association of prophets met, and possibly lived, together for study, encouragement, and service, possibly like an early type of school or seminary. They had been in existence since the days of Samuel, several hundred years earlier. These groups of prophets helped to stem the tide of complete moral and spiritual decay in the nation of Israel. It was through their ministry, along with that of Elijah and Elisha, that there were at least 7,000 people in the nation who had not succumbed to worshipping pagan idols (I Kings 19:18).
The sons of the prophets also knew that Elijah would be taken by God, and wanted to be sure that Elisha knew. Elisha knew, and he wasn’t going to be discouraged. When they reach the Jordan River they knew this was where Elijah’s journey would end. His ministry would end on the east bank of the Jordan River, opposite Jericho, near where Moses’s ministry also had ended.
In their last moments together Elijah asked Elisha if there was any final request he had (vs 9). Elisha answered boldly. He didn’t hold back when possibly one of the greatest men of God ever asked if he could do a favor. Elisha requested that a double portion of the Holy Spirit that had been on Elijah come upon him. During the days of the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit only came upon believers temporarily. It wasn’t until the day of Pentecost, after Jesus’s resurrection and ascension, that the Holy Spirit would permanently indwell believers.
Elisha was asking to be Elijah’s spiritual heir and successor. He wanted to continue his work. Elisha, throughout his time with his mentor, had come to know the Lord’s power. He wanted to do big things for God. Elisha was willing to be God’s prophet, no matter the cost. Many times throughout Elijah’s ministry his life was threatened, and he had to run. What mighty things could God do through us if we would only ask Him for His power to work in us?
Elijah was taken up bodily into heaven without dying. A flaming chariot came and caught him up, taking him to heaven in a whirlwind (vs 11). There has been only one other person to whom God granted the privilege of going to heaven without dying, and that was Enoch, several generations after Adam and before Noah (Genesis 5:21-24).
In answer to Elisha’s request, Elijah told him that if he witnessed his transport to heaven, his request would be granted. It was not Elijah’s decision. Only God could grant that. He did grant Elisha’s request because his motives were pure. He didn’t want to be better or more powerful than his mentor. He wanted to accomplish more for God.
Elisha saw the chariot catch Elijah up, and also received his mantle (vs 12-13). The mantle or cloak was a symbol of his authority as a prophet, and since he now had Elijah’s, it showed that he was his legitimate successor. Let’s go forth today, seeking God’s power, desiring to do big things for Him, as Elisha desired!
Mark 6:30-44
The last several weeks had been very busy for Jesus and His disciples. Jesus had come to His hometown of Nazareth to preach, only to be rejected by those He grew up with. His disciples had gone out for several weeks on a preaching mission around Galilee. Then they all had to deal with the emotional blow from hearing of the arrest and execution of John the Baptist.
Running at full speed with no break is physically and emotionally exhausting. Jesus knew that they all needed a break, and He instructed the group to get away from the crowds (vs 30-32). The crowds kept following them, though, and their break quickly ended. When people come to us with needs, how do we react? At first we are probably happy to help. However if it goes on, we may get irritated, and wish they’d go away. When Jesus looked out at the people what did He see? He saw people who were like sheep without a shepherd, and He had compassion on them (vs 34).
Compassion is having sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings and misfortunes of others. Sheep are easily scattered. Without a shepherd they are in grave danger. These people who were coming to Jesus then, as well as people today, were spiritually helpless and starving. Without Jesus Christ in one’s life, people are lacking any spiritual guidance and protection that only He can give. Without the Good Shepherd people, like sheep, wander thru life aimlessly. Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit they are exposed to the perils of sin and spiritual destruction. Jesus is the One to teach mankind what we need to know, and to keep us from straying from God.
After spending a full day teaching the crowds, and meeting their spiritual needs, the Lord sought to meet their physical needs as well. The crowd had gone all day with nothing to eat, and now it was late in the afternoon. The disciples idea was for them to all head home, and they could get food on the way (vs 35-36). Jesus had other plans. “You feed them.”, He told them. What?! There were at least 5,000 men there, and that wasn’t including any women or children! To provide enough food for a crowd that size the disciples reasoned it would take 200 denarii to provide just a small amount of food for everyone (vs 37). A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer. 200 denarii would be about 8 months of salary. As they wondered aloud, how were they going to provide that amount of food?
Jesus then speaks another puzzling word to the Twelve. He asks them how much food they have with them. They must have wondered to themselves what good that would do. Food for twelve or thirteen when they needed to feed multiple thousands. They didn’t even have enough food for themselves, as they only had five small loaves and two fish (vs 38). The disciples still did not realize that Jesus could provide for them. They were so concerned with the immensity of the task, they did not see what was possible with God. They obeyed the Lord, and He performed one of the most well-known miracles of the Gospels (vs 39-44).
What is our response when we, as believers, are given an impossible task? It seemed impossible with human eyes, but all things are possible with God. The disciples did what they could, which was to gather together the available food, and then organize the people into groups. Prayer was then made by the Lord Jesus to the Father, and He answered by multiplying the loaves and fishes to feed the multitude. An impossible problem was answered by God performing an impossible miracle when they looked to Him for help and an answer.
That is all Jesus asks. Look to Him for help. We do what we are capable of doing, then go to Him in prayer, and He will do the rest, even if it is providing an impossible miracle.
Ephesians 2:11-22
Have you ever felt left out of a group, made to feel like you don’t belong, and are not welcomed? Children in school and around the neighborhood sometimes make clubs, where some are allowed in and others are kept out. Though it isn’t as common today as it used to be, adults sometimes do the same thing. Hurt feelings and anger can follow. Our churches should never be a place where one feels less than welcome because of their background.
In our passages today, Paul is is addressing converted Gentiles in Ephesus. These people had recently been followers of pagan gods, or were without any real faith at all. The true God was completely foreign to them, and they were seemingly without hope and on the road to damnation.
However, the message of Christ had been preached to them, and they accepted. They were now part of the Body of Christ. The barrier that had kept most Gentiles from coming to a belief in the true God had been broken down, and Gentiles were converting in significant numbers. Though they came from a background completely void of any belief in the one true God, they no longer were to be considered outsiders. They should no longer be looked at as the feared and despised others. They were now part of the household of God.
The same is true for those who convert today from a non-Christian background. Those who were raised as a Christian or are from a Christian background should not look at them as what they were, or as less of a Christian. Those who converted from a non-Christian faith or background should not look at themselves in that manner either. Once one is a part of the body of Christ, their old self is dead, and is no longer seen by God. We should have the same mindset as well.
Sin has separated everyone from God, regardless of their race or background. In Jesus the Law was fulfilled and our sins were forgiven (vs 14-16). Those who believe in Jesus have been reconciled to the Father and grafted into the covenant He made. Before we were saved we were spiritually dead in sin, and could not have fellowship with God. When we received Jesus as Savior, we could then come to the Father anytime (vs 18). Jesus’s sacrifice on Calvary procured that for us.
Jesus has offered salvation to everyone. He has broken down the wall of prejudice, and reconciles all believers to God, unifying us in one body. Through Jesus we all have access to the Father. We are no longer foreigners or aliens to God.
Let us not be proud of our own upbringing, for we are all sinners. If we have accepted Christ, we are saved by grace through His death on the cross. No one is saved or damned as a result of their heritage. There are no strangers, foreigners, or second-class citizens in God’s kingdom. Redeemed sinners all become members of God’s family.
Psalm 22
Forsaken. It is one of the saddest and most depressing words ever! A wife or husband is left forsaken when their spouse walks out on them. The little baby left forsaken, wrapped in a blanket on the steps of a church. The elderly parent, left all alone as their children and grandchildren have forgotten them. It is terrible to be forsaken.
Our psalm today, written by King David, speaks about feeling forsaken. David spent many years running from the murderous wrath of King Saul. He knew what it was like to feel alone and friendless. Though David had a deep and personal faith in God, at times he felt as though God, too, had forsaken him. This psalm, probably written on one of the most discouraging days of his life, was also one of the most prophetic psalms, pointing directly to the suffering that our Savior, the Lord Jesus would go through for us.
During the worst days of our life, when the spouse and children are gone, when our friends are nowhere to be found, and even the church is a lonely place, we are not truly alone. God has never truly forsaken one of His children (Hebrews 13:5). It may feel like it on those dark days, but He is always there, just as the sun is still there during the storm, always shining behind the clouds.
There was a day, though, when God did turn His back on, and close His ears to the cries of someone, and that was to His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus sacrificed Himself for our salvation, He took upon Himself the sins of the whole world. Every dirty, nasty sin ever committed was laid upon Him. The pure and holy God could not look upon sin, and thus had to turn His back on His beloved Son during those hours He hung upon the cross at Calvary. As Jesus hung, nailed to the cross, with all of our sins upon Him, He cried out, quoting verse 1 of this psalm (Mark 15:34). Jesus was sinless, yet He took upon Himself the sin of the whole world (II Corinthians 5:21). He experienced the full penalty of all of our sins, including the separation that sin causes between man and God. Being separated from His heavenly Father was the heaviest weight Jesus bore for us!
Being forsaken is a terrible feeling, and being humiliated and scorned is not pleasant, either. None of us like the shame and embarrassment of being publicly mocked. In verses 6 thru 8 we read where David’s enemies were mocking him when he was down, and again, this was a prophecy of the events of Good Friday. As Jesus hung on the cross, the Pharisees, chief priests, and other religious leaders publicly mocked and derided their Messiah (Matthew 27:41-43). When we feel humiliated by people who look down on us, remember that Jesus went through the same thing (Hebrews 4:14-15).
Verses 14 thru 17 are further prophetic verses describing the crucifixion and physical suffering that Jesus went through for our sins. In verse 18 we read of the further humiliation and indignity Jesus endured by having His clothes taken from Him and given to His executioners. In times of despair and feelings of abandonment, in our times in the darkest of night, God is always there for us because of what Jesus went through. When we feel like less than a worm (vs 6), know that Jesus did, too. God’s love and concern for us goes back to even before we were born (vs 9-10).
As children of God, bought with the shed Blood of His Son, we have a very real responsibility to tell the next generation about Jesus and His salvation message (vs 30-31). As David proclaims, we can trust in Him and be delivered. Because of Jesus, we are never forsaken!
