Do You Not Yet Understand?

-
"...They began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread... And He was saying to them, "Do you not yet understand?" (Mk. 8:14-21, NASB)

   The disciples were so . . . human. When we read the gospel accounts we see a group of men that dealt with the same struggles, temptations, and weaknesses that we do. I am not sure if that brings us comfort or not, but it does remind us that we am not alone.

   In verses mentioned above, the disciples were a little concerned because they jumped on the boat with only one loaf of bread. Why is this such a big issue? Well, they wanted to eat just like everyone else. So they are just a little concerned that there will not be enough to go around. Here's the real problem though: they still did not get just who Jesus was. Up to this point they had watched Jesus heal people from various diseases and infirmities, and watched Him perform various other miracles including walking on water. In chapter six, the disciples participated in the incredible miracle where Jesus fed 5,000 men, not counting women and children, with a boys lunch of bread and fish. Then, in chapter eight, they again participate as Jesus miraculously feeds another 4,000 men, again not counting women and children. In both cases, the left overs were vastly more than the original product. They just did not get that this man, Jesus, was more than able to care for them. They should have been able to put all of the events together and realized, "Hey, Jesus is with us, so this one loaf will be more than sufficient. In addition, we are on the water, so fish should not be an issue either." However, they still did not understand.

   Before we chalk these men up to being slow, forgetful, or downright ignorant, consider that we operate in the same manner. We have seen God perform some amazing work in someone else's life, but we fret when situation arise in our own. Why do we do this? If God is able to work in their life is He not able to work in ours also? Perhaps the problem is making the connections between what God has done and what He can do. "He provided for my financial problem, so He can bring healing to my physical body." The bottom line is simple: If God can work in one area of life, He can work in all areas of life!

   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Don't Waste Your Pain

-
Image
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction... - 2 Corinthians 1:3-9    Affliction (pain and suffering) is an inevitable, unavoidable, and repeatable part of life. None of us are exempt. While  we would all like to avoid affliction, the truth is that pain and affliction  serve a greater purpose , whether it comes from our own choices, the ordinary course of life, an attack of spiritual forces, or from God Himself.  Richard Cecil is noted as saying, "God's way of answering the Christian's prayer for more patience, experience, hope, and love often is to put him into the furnace of affliction.” Even  though we cannot avoid affliction, we can use it for the glory of God. That’s right. Your pain can be used to glorify God. How do we do this?    First, we need to learn to receive God's comfort. Much like in life, some folks are better at letting others "in" th
Read more

Dependent Upon God

-
Image
Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp..." Exodus 14:1    Have you ever stopped and considered why God led the Israelites to freedom by taking them through the desert? Really, think about the process for a moment. He led them out of the slavery for a day or two, then told them to turn back towards the city of their captivity, next to the sea, and make camp. This lead to their being trapped. Then He led them to a place with with plenty of water, but it was undrinkable. Not too long after that, when all their food provisions were depleted, He led them to a place where there was no food or water for themselves or their livestock. Why would God be so cruel? Well, if you know the rest of the story, then you may already know the answer. They were never trapped, for God parted the waters, allowing them safe passage through the sea and drowning their enemies. The undrinkable water was made drinkable, and they were provided food
Read more

Biblical Apprenticeship

-
Image
"...Go therefore and make disciples... ” - (Matt. 28:18-20)   The Greek word mathetai is the term we usually translate as disciple, and it expresses the idea of "student" or "pupil". To me, the best understanding today of the biblical principle of disciples is apprentices. Think about it, in a typical apprenticeship a new generation of practitioners are prepared with on-the-job training and often some accompanying classroom work and reading.  Apprenticeships typically last 3 to 6 years, and generally involve four steps:     (1)  Commitment - At this level the apprentice makes the commitment to stay the course by receiving the education and training necessary to become the “journeyman”.       (2) Classroom - At this phase, the apprentice receives the information necessary to understand and work within the sphere of labor.      (3) Training - At this phase, the apprentice begins to put the information they have learned into practice. First by wat
Read more