Matt 14 and into ideas...

I attended a Bible study tonight that was about the passage of Jesus walking on the water. Yes, a passage that has many times been spoke on or preached in many different circles. Yet this time, a few new ideas were taught that got me thinking a little deeper into the passage.

First, taking into account the idea of "what does Jesus want to reveal to His disciples about himself?" begins to be the most pertinent question. Also looking at the context from which this passage is written brings into account other paramount intentions by Jesus. I find it interesting that Jesus makes his disciples get into the boat. He pushes them on, more literally, he demands or sternly suggests that they go across the lake. Taking that into account, I realized that Jesus knew what was going to happen. He knew about the storm. He knew about the crowd of possibly 20,000+ that he had just fed, and he wanted the disciples to get a closer look at the king they were witnessing. The crowd followed Jesus because they wanted him to be there king. The people thought that the bread that Jesus had just fed them was fulfillment of the prophesy that the Messiah would one day give Manna to His people. A misinterpretation to say the least.
Taking a closer look at the text, one can see that Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and leave while he sent the people home. Why did Jesus do this? Why did he want the disciples to be segregated, per say, from the crowd? I believe, that at this juncture in Jesus' ministry if you look at the scriptures up until this point, the disciples still did not really know who Jesus was. They still were not convinced of his divinity, of his proclamation of being the Messiah. Looking back at the passage of the feeding of the 5000, I find no inkling of the disciples understanding what Jesus did at this point in time. They did not, still, know who Jesus was or who he claimed to be, thus Jesus separated them from the crowd, placed them into a boat (which most of them were readily able to handle and reign because it was the skill and trade of many of the disciples), and sent them across the lake. I find it intriguing that Jesus took them away from the crowd. If the crowd passionately thought that Jesus was the king that would free them from the Romans and bring fire, then I cannot help but think that at this point the disciples had the same view of Jesus. That he would be this Messiah that would bring his kingdom to earth in this fashion.

Little did they know that Jesus was trying to teach them something about himself. The answer to the first question of the whole book of Matthew. Jesus came so much different than how people thought he should come, i.e. the crowd and dare I say the disciples....

One more thought. At the end of the miracle, the disciples fall down and worship Jesus. Up until this point in Jesus' ministry, the closest followers of Jesus had not worshipped him in that manner. This word worship means to give everything to him and trust him. To let go, to follow wholly. Interestingly enough, they had not done this until this point in Jesus' ministry.

Application: The fact that Jesus put the disciples in a boat is a great reminder that God can use our greatest strengths to bring us to a point of complete desperation and need of total help in order to survive. The majority of the disciples were sailing on what was second nature to them. They had grown up on boats and it was their forte, so to speak. I am reminded that God puts us into places, mainly "made his disciples get back into the boat," to help reveal more of himself to us. Many times I just react and ask God to help me through whatever situation I am in and ask that he deliver me. Not that this is wrong, but I think that many times God wants to reveal himself to us in a new way. He wants us to understand more of his character so that we have a greater understanding of who God is. Jesus desires that we have a more complete view of who he is, and many times our view of God is fragmented and broken and we do not have a complete view of who He really is. He is not just a God of wrath, justice, love, kindness, forgiveness, grace, or a God to be feared. He is all of those, and we have to have a balance of how we view God. He is always wanting to reveal more of himself to us.

But when God reveals himself to me in a greater way, I am compelled to fall on my face and worship Him. Lord and Savior, my desire is to know You more and gain a greater understanding of who You are.

There is more, but I will save that for a later time...




sweet quote by Ravi Zacharias:

"God answers every prayer by either giving what is asked for or reminding the petitioner that God's provision is built on His wisdom and executed in His time. In persistant fervent prayer, God prepares the soil of one's heart to make room for the seed of His answer, from which will flower an alignment with His will."