In Matthew 14 - Who am I in this story? If Jesus calls to me will I be one of the afraid people or will I be like Peter and be willing to step out of the boat. All the disciples knew Jesus, they have seen Him do miracles but they were worried about a Ghost... I want to focus on what I know of God and His Son and not on my imagination and speculation. Lord help me to be one to step out past my fear...
In Matthew 15 - The faith of the Canaanite Woman was interesting and I wonder how I would do asking a man whom I did not know, who had performed many miracles and had a following of disciples. She asked the first time and was ignored and Jesus's disciples told her to leave. Then Jesus himself tells her he won't help her and she has the bravery to confront him another time. When I am confronted with obstacles what do I normally do? I think I take it as a "Sign for God" that I need to redirect or change course. Lord help me to doggedly pursue the things of your heart without being distracted or mis-directed to other "good" things. I want to skip the good and focus on the God things like a pit bull with a steak. I love steak, i think i can take a pit bull right now...
before i reread these 2 chapters, i want to post this poem i wrote in 2009--the first time i tried to read through the new testament. i am so happy to finally be working through this assignment from Jesus again (and with my best friend!) this poem was a moment where i definitely felt like i saw what kind of a man jesus was.
ReplyDeletethe day john the baptist died
ReplyDeleteit was a stormy night but only God knows what kind of morning
I imagine it was dark
premonition of what was to come
was jesus conscious of the lack of sun
the sun he held in place
the earth he turned around it
and yet still a new day could dawn with such profound absence
a day when family could die
cousin john, first friend,
dead with his head on a plate
surely even the sovereign
even the omniscient is still sometimes shocked
grisly death has a way of kicking you in the gut
knocking the breath out of us humans
and he was human
a man
who loved
deeply and all the pain that goes with it
a man who longed for privacy in a paparazzi world
and who wouldn’t want to be alone
ReplyDelete“he withdrew by boat, privately, to a solitary place”
to grieve, to mourn,
to consider his own imminent death
and the sacrifice of love
a voice crying out in the wilderness
brave and hopeful
before he died
did john believe
did he know
did he die with doubt
anger that the king couldn’t save him
his friend didn’t save him
john’s heart cry that “the kingdom was near”
and still he died
his head on a plate
who wouldn’t want to be alone
“Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.”
hearing of this?
what did they hear
what? that the man they loved
they worshiped
who healed them
had suffered loss, was grieving and seeking solitude
what had they heard?
Jesus is on a boat
he’s leaving, sneaking away
under cover of fog or just in shadow
of rain clouds yet to release their fury on the day
sneaking away when we still have needs
did they run along the river bank with binoculars
all five thousand men urging their families to move faster
on this windy day
before jesus sailed beyond their grasp
had they no compassion?
worthy of consideration
was he even real
was he god or man
or miracle-worker
servant
who wouldn’t want to be alone
drained by expectations
and the knowledge of how this would all end
a head on a plate
a death on a cross
blind men who thought they could see
“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd…”
he urged the storm to come sooner to send them home to seek shelter
he sailed back out and cried out to his father in a loud voice
take this cup from me!
he called to the crowd “you brood of vipers, will you always use me?”
his face stormy with grief, he walked through the crowd, unseeing eyes
and they had compassion on him and whispered among themselves
we have all lost a great prophet
john the Baptist
but he has lost family and a friend
bring him water, fish and bread
bring him a pillow on which to lay his head…
“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”
in this remote place
they tracked him down
the threw upon him their burdens
their fears and their sufferings
he saw their blind eyes
but feeling no judgment, no self-pity, no regret
he changed the course of his ship
his hoped for solitude
and gave them sight
gave them profound miracles
the miracle of self-less compassion and service
of sucking it up and laying down his own needs
his life for not just his friends but for the five thousand
the hungry, ill-prepared, ambling, needy mob
and it was at that moment that he broke the bread and fish
against his disciples’ advice to send the people home
the gave thanks and then broke the bread
poured it out
and there was plenty left over
only then
a day and many miracles later
did his attention turn back to his purpose in coming to this place
remote mountainside
quiet place
to pray
he sent his disciples away, dismissed the crowd
and jesus went off alone
to pray among the rocks and trees
still it wasn’t likely quiet
as the storm clouds gathered the birds cried out
the mountain goats sought shelter
as the night fell and the clouds gathered
22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat was already a considerable distance[a] from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
1. COMPASSION even in his own grief he noticed others' needs and had pity on them
ReplyDelete2. HE PRAYED even though he was fully-God - before doing this miracle - before the meal
3. HE PRAYED when he needed comfort and solitude. he needed this time so badly he would even climb a mountain to get and stay up all night to get it.
4. COURAGE i never noticed that when he walked on water it was in the middle of a storm, as if walking on water wasn't hard enough
5. POWER what's the deal with people being healed by touching the edge of his cloak? not sure how this relates to us...
6. hahaha! jesus said it doesn't matter if you wash your hands or not. what matters more is the purity of our hearts and actions.
7. DEPTH jesus was concerned with the purity of people's hearts and actions and he was not to be tricked or manipulated by religious people.
8. (I hate this story where he calls the Cananite woman a dog. i just don't get it. it makes me angry.) Jesus, what am i missing?
9. PATIENT he didn't mind doing the same miracle twice or that his disciples still lacked faith
hey scott, i always try to read along with you and post my thoughts before reading yours, so we can each read the scripture with a fresh perspective. i just read your blog now. and RAWR! i am with you 100%! i am proud of you! i join with you in the prayers you put forth in this blog. God has promised not just to move mountains for us, but that WE will move mountains! but, we will get to that scripture tomorrow :) love you!
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