Jesus Walks on the WaterMy Understanding: At the beginning of the chapter we read how Herod had arrested John the Baptist, had bound him and had put him in prison because John had been saying it was not lawful for Herod to have his brother’s wife, Herodias. Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they thought he was a prophet. Then, Herod had a birthday party. His step-daughter (or daughter from Herodias) danced for the people at the party. She so pleased Herod that he promised on oath to give her whatever she asked. Her mother prompted her to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter, so Herod granted her request and John the Baptist was beheaded. His disciples then went and told Jesus.
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
When Jesus heard what had happened to John, he must have been grieved in his spirit. He loved John very much. At the news of John’s beheading, he withdrew by boat to a solitary place. The crowds followed him on foot. When he stepped on land and he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them. He healed their sick, he ministered to their needs and he fed five thousand of them with only five loaves of bread and two fish on hand, and yet there was food leftover. Then Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. Then, he went up on a mountainside to pray. His time of solitude had been delayed by his compassion on the crowds, so now he took that time to get alone with the Father and to talk with him.
Evening came. The boat was far out into the water. The boat was being tossed by the wind and waves. Jesus went out to his disciples, walking to them on the lake. They thought he was a ghost. They were afraid. He said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” I love it when he says those words of comfort to me at times when I am feeling the wind and waves around me. Then, Peter asked to come to Jesus. Jesus said, “Come.” Peter began walking toward Jesus on the water. When he saw the wind and the waves, though, he was afraid and he began to sink, crying out to Jesus, “Lord, save me!” At least he had the presence of mind not to continue drowning, but to cry out for help. And, help came. Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. He said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When Peter and Jesus climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
As I considered prayerfully the message of this passage of scripture, especially in relation to the message in this song, the Lord helped me see the example Jesus set for us in loving others, in caring for their needs, in sharing their burdens, and in helping mend their lives.
• Jesus hurts when we hurt. He is grieved when we are persecuted for our faith, and he is grieved when we sin and he sees how sin is hurting us.
• Jesus withdrew and spent time with the Father in prayer in private when he was grieving
• Jesus had compassion on people, and he put their needs above his own, and/or he delayed the meeting of his own needs and he met theirs first
• Jesus met people’s legitimate needs (not necessarily wants)
• Jesus went to his followers to minister to them when they were afraid, lonely and/or hurting in order to bring them comfort and encouragement
• Jesus calmed the storms that were surrounding their lives and he comforted them with his presence and with his power to handle the storm
• When Peter asked to come to Jesus, he said, “Come,” and he gave him the supernatural ability to walk above the waves below him
• When Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and looked at the waves and began to fear and to drown in his circumstances, Jesus rebuked him for his lack of faith
• When Peter called out for help, though, Jesus took him by the hand and he rescued him. And, the waves and wind died down.
The song, “Teach Me, Lord,” talked about us being an example of Christian living to others, yet here I saw how Jesus set the example for us in how to love others with his love. So, I prayed, inquiring of the Lord as to where I am failing to follow his example in how I minister his love and grace to others. And, he answered by giving me a list of questions to ask myself based off of this list of nine ways in which Jesus set the example before us in loving, and in caring for others’ needs. I will not share my specific answers, as those are between me and the Lord, yet I will say that several of them I marked as “needing improvement,” so I am praying for the Lord to show me ways I can improve in those areas.
• Do I hurt when others hurt? Do I hurt for them when they are caught in sin?
• Do I go to the Lord in prayer, inquiring of him, when I am grieving and in need of counsel, comfort, guidance and direction? Or do I try to solve my own problems?
• How do I do at putting other people’s needs above my own?
• Am I sensitive to the legitimate needs of others and do I pray and seek ways I can help meet their needs?
• Do I reach out to people in their needs and offer words of comfort and healing?
• Do I give words of encouragement that will help people to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ so that they will trust Christ with their life’s circumstances instead of allowing their circumstances to overwhelm them and to overtake them?
• Am I inviting in my approach – not watering down the message, but do I try to find ways to say things that will invite discussion instead of shutting off communication?
• Do I trust my loved ones to Jesus Christ for him to work in their lives, and realize that sometimes they need to go through difficulties and they need to hurt and to work through their pain in order for them to grow? And, then not worry and fret?
• Am I willing to reach my hand out to people who are drowning in sin or in life’s difficulties and to help pull them out of deep waters to safety? Am I willing to expend my time, energy and emotion for them at the risk of rejection and persecution in order to help others to victory over sin?
Those are the questions God gave me to ask myself and that I answered and that I will be working on the areas in which he said I need improvement. I hope and pray you will take these questions to heart and that you will ask the Lord to show you, too, where you need improvement, and for him to teach you how to better love and minister to people’s needs.
Teach Me, Lord / An Original Work / June 12, 2011
Teach me, Lord, to walk in Your ways,
And observe all You command.
May I ever hasten to You,
And desire to not offend.
Teach me how to follow Your steps,
Gently guiding me each day.
May I love and serve You always,
Loving others, this I pray.
Teach me, Lord, to listen to You
Speaking Your words to my heart.
May I never stray from Your truth,
And from Your law ne’er depart.
Teach me how to instruct others
In the way that we should go,
Leading them by my life witness,
So that Jesus they should know.
Teach me, Lord, to be a light in
This dark world of grief and sin.
May I always care for others;
Share their burdens; help to mend.
Teach me how to share with them that
Jesus came to set them free,
So that they could be forgiven;
Live with Christ eternally.
Song Lyrics @ Public Domain
Link to song
No comments:
Post a Comment