Words Of Christ Devotions

[nChrist]

April 11

I Am Able
Mat_9:27-34

Is it true that the blind develop their other senses to a greater degree than the rest of us?  Perhaps.  This little story shows us much about the nature of Christ.  One wonders just how much they perceived of this.

They begin by calling him "Son of David."  It is a favorite title for the long expected Messiah.  This they must have heard.

When confronted with the choice, they call him Lord.

Note the phrase:  ". I am able. "  His Lordship is acknowledged not as messenger but as Messiah.  He does these miracles of Himself, in imitation of the Father.

Jesus has performed several miracles immediately before this.  Here he brings in a new note:  He explicitly challenges their faith.  It is sometimes supposed that God cannot work without our faith.  This is not the case.  He constrains himself in this way so that we might see the virtue of faith.

One curious phrasing does happen here.  If you will notice, the men begin begging his mercy on the road, but it is not until he enters a house that he turns his attention to them.  Why?

First, there is the question of having his fame spread too early in his ministry.  By doing this privately, and telling them not to talk about it, he minimizes the premature spread of his fame.

Also, he wants them to demonstrate their faith.  If you want to know if faith is genuine, it is best not to ask in front of a crowd of religious people.  There may be peer pressure.

Of importance to us personally is the example of humility this sets.  Jesus does not trumpet his good works to the world.  Instead, he does them quietly.  We should follow this example as well, doing our good works as discreetly as possible.

You will note that Jesus sternly warns them not to talk.  This is fitting with his humility.   It is also futile.  It seems that nowhere in his ministry does anyone obey this instruction!  It's easy to see why.  Good news is hard to keep quiet.

We are told to be silent about our good works.  Jesus tells  us that every secret thing will ultimately be revealed, and here is an example.  It seems that added to the reward of God the Father will be the witness of those we have helped.

____________________

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[nChrist]

April 12

Small Town, Small Minds
Mar_6:1-6

The Western is an enduring form of cinema.  It has an appeal that crosses culture and time.  The small town, one sheriff, a few bad guys, the townsfolk, the schoolmarm, the kid—all stock characters to be picked up at any time by any writer.  Nothing ever changes in the Old West—and we like it that way.

Why?  There is a comfort in knowing that nothing will change.  Nothing in the plot will disturb us;  the white hats always win.  We like the fact that it doesn't change;  it only varies.  That's part of our nature:  change makes us uncomfortable.  Very often, we do our best to see that it doesn't happen.

Jesus encounters that here in his home town of Nazareth.  He's the carpenter's kid, the guy who worked with his hands, just another tradesman who evidently doesn't know his place.  He came from the wrong side of the tracks, evidently, and folks were not about to let him cross over.  Their minds were made up:  he was not to be allowed to be anything different than their idea of him.  It's interesting to note Jesus' reactions to this:

First, there is the fact that he returned at all.  He had to know what was in their hearts;  he knew he was asking for a rejection notice.  Why?  Perhaps it was his love;  he wanted to give them a fair chance.

He works only minor miracles there, a few healings.  Christ is not a sideshow host coming back to impress the home folks with his new fame and fortune.  He has come for the divine purpose:  to seek and save the lost.  Miracles, in some way, are the reward of faith.  If there is no faith, there will be no reward.

The characteristic attack of the small, weak mind is ridicule.  If fact and logic are absent, there is always a well timed sneer available.  It is an emotional reaction; it says, I don't want to change.  I don't  want things to be different.  Get back in your box where you belong, Jesus.

This is why he is called the Rock of Stumbling.  The ridicule bounces off the Rock, for it has no basis in fact.  The only result was to make the people of the town look like what they were:  small minds from a small town.  But look to your own mind:  have you put Jesus in his box?  Is he allowed into every aspect of your life, or just those marked "religious—handle with care?"  Jesus—sideshow or Savior?  You decide.

____________________

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[nChrist]

April 13

Harvest Workers
Mat_9:35-38

"There they go," says one cartoon, "and I must catch up with them, for I am their leader!"

Jesus saw people like that.  When he did, he had compassion.  The original word expresses deep emotion of great intensity.  It is his humanity we see here, for he sees humanity, and weeps.

Why?  I once worked with a woman who achieved what she thought was salvation about every three months.  The cause was always different—it ranged from ESP to country-western dancing—but the result was always the same.  She chased the fashion of the moment, and it lead to nowhere.  She refused to consider Jesus Christ, for he is out of fashion.  It is still true:  where there is no vision, the people perish.  People then, people now, worry over where to find the rainbow's end.

The harvest is plentiful.  There certainly seem to be enough of them.  But do we recognize them around us?  Some of those around me I will never be able to reach;  they speak a different language.  Isn't more common, though, to meet those we will not reach?  Consider the "ordinary invisibles."  These are the waitresses, flight attendants, clerks—all those people with whom we don't want to make eye contact.  So many people see them each day; so few will speak to them of Christ.

Did you notice how Jesus described it?  The laborers are few—not members.  We have plenty of auditors and consultants.

So what is the solution?  Jesus gives us two principles:

First, we are commanded to pray.  This is how God works.  He delights in those who come to him in earnest prayer, and wants to grant their requests.  Those who establish the right relationship with him will see his favor.

Second, we are commanded to pray for more laborers.  Why?  Why not ask for the gift of becoming "super-preacher?"  It is in weakness God's strength is shown;  by this means the result  will be to his glory, rather than our ego inflation.

As more come to work, those who are brought to faith will be able to learn from personal contact, not television sermons.  God spreads his kingdom in this way so that we might be welded together as the church, not just a gaggle of listeners.

Do you see the agony of those around you, chasing after the wind?  Have compassion, have pity on them.  Ask your Heavenly Father to send out those who will bring his children home.

____________________

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[nChrist]

April 14

Training Mission

Mat_10:1-10

Jesus sends his disciples out on a little tour of the countryside.  This is a training mission;  for that reason he places certain restrictions upon them.

To the Jews

He sends them to the Jews first.  He has not yet been rejected as king by them, and it is only fair to do so.  In doing this, he arms them with the credentials that all Jews would recognize—the miraculous powers that can only come from God.

Power

One of the marks of true greatness and power is humility.  Notice that Jesus sends them out to do the very same things he has been doing—and in the same miraculous power.  This does not make them his equals;  He has the power, they have received it.  But there is no trace of jealousy in his giving it to them.  Indeed, he trains them to use it by his frequent example.

Freely receive, freely give

Why does Jesus include this instruction?

First, it is to remind the disciples that they have nothing, in themselves, of which to boast.  They do not have this power of themselves;  it is the gift of God.

They are told to freely give—which is to help them from becoming greedy and selling the grace of God.  That grace is beyond any price we could pay;  it therefore must be given away.

Traveling outfit

Jesus is rather specific about what they should not take—and most of it revolves around material possessions.  But you must make a choice:  would you have the reward of men, or the reward of God?

Take no staff—no sign of protection and power—so that you will rely entirely on God for your protection.

Take no coat—make no preparation for tomorrow but God.

The disciples are to have nothing—and therefore they have no cares.  They may receive their necessities on a daily basis, but that's all.

Do you wonder why your spiritual life sags and creaks?  Perhaps it is the load you are carrying on it.  Grace you freely received;  do you share it the same way, with no thought of reward?  A heavy wallet is a pain in the backside.  Live in simplicity, taking no thought for tomorrow—and let God lead you peacefully.

____________________

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[nChrist]

April 15

Travel Arrangements

Mat_10:11-15

If you have enough frequent flyer miles, you have a collection of nightmares concerning travel arrangements.  Our Lord here gives his disciples commandment concerning their travel arrangements.  We can learn from this, and apply our lessons to the travel which is life.

Book your hotel room carefully

Jesus does not give them supernatural wisdom to discern the best host, nor make arrangements for them.  He says, "search."  We are to watch where we reside, spiritually.

Choose your teachers with great care.  Brilliant eloquence is no clue to sound teaching.  See if the life matches it.

Choose your friends with even greater care.

Hospitality—a test of virtue

Hospitality is one of the tests of a Christian.  So many of us complain that God has not given us great "spiritual" gifts.  If he has given you a roof over your head, then use that roof to show hospitality when you can.  If you are faithful in little, you are faithful in much.

Don't switch hotel rooms

Hospitality came from individual homes at this time.  The temptation was to do a little social climbing until you got into the best possible house.  Jesus tells us not to do that.  Rather, we are to be content with what we have.

As return for the hospitality, he tells his disciples to let their peace rest on the home.  It is a form of praying for the peace of the home.  So many of us pray that the Lord might take us out of our circumstances and send us to a place with harmony!  His command is that we pray for harmony to come to us.
Rejection

Stubbornness, when cloaked in the word persistence, is considered a virtue.  Christ here tells us the opposite.  If our message is rejected, we are to move on!  We are to shake dust as we go (a sign of rejection and a last chance to repent), but we must move on.  There are others who must hear the Gospel.

This world is not our home, we're just passing through.  We are travelers, pilgrims.  Let us therefore accept the hospitality offered and, in return, bless those who offer it to us.  Picking our teachers with care, working in harmony with each other, giving and receiving true hospitality—these can make the journey light.

____________________

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[nChrist]

April 17


Greater Courage

Mat_10:23-26

The disciples are being prepared here for their training missionary journey, and Christ now turns from the desire for security to the matter of fear, in particular fear of persecution.

His first comfort is this:  it won't last long.  For this journey, they would not even make it through all the cities in Israel before the sacrifice at the Cross.  So it's a short training trip.  (Others see in this a prophecy concerning the salvation of Israel).

This touches upon the nature of courage.  For men in particular, courage is often bound up with pride, so it is useful to us to distinguish courage from its counterfeits:

Being devoid of fear is not courage.  If someone is shooting at you and you are not afraid, you are mentally ill.

Denying your fear is not courage;  it is bravado.  This is a game for teenage boys with no real accomplishment.

True courage is acknowledging your fear—and doing what you must despite that fear.

In that light, it sometimes takes more courage to appear to be a coward than it does to appear to be a hero.  Much of bravado comes from not wanting your pride injured by your buddies.

Christ here commands them to flee when persecuted.  Why?

First, because it is their mission.  If they are persecuted, it is for the sake of the Gospel.  Persecution is rejection;  when rejected, shake dust and move on.

Next, Christ prevents them from putting God to the test.  Can God deliver them?  No more than he did Daniel!  But should you presume upon him and test him that way?  It is written, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."  To remain defiantly is to do just that.

Finally, Christ knows the heart.  It is better to flee than to remain, and through weakness deny your Lord.

Christians throughout the century have considered it the highest honor possible to be persecuted and martyred for the faith.  The reason is given here:  you are sharing in the suffering of Jesus Christ.  That shows you are his servant and disciple.  It may not appear at the moment, but the truth comes  out in the end.  All will be revealed, and those who fled for Christ's sake and those who were martyred for Christ's sake will share in his glory.  Christ prepared the disciples for this;  are you prepared for it too?

____________________

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[nChrist]

April 18

Self-Revealing

Mat_10:27

For anyone who preaches, teaches or simply shares the good news of Jesus Christ, this verse is extremely important.   The permanent temptation to the preacher is to be bland and acceptable.  The permanent temptation of the teacher is to be accepted.  One way to give into this temptation is to speak about only those things your hearers already know.

Christ demands that our preaching, teaching and sharing be free and unrestrained.  He touches our imagination here to show us this lesson:

Darkness

Darkness is often a place of fear.  Who among us at one time or another has not been afraid of the dark?  Often, however, you would think that some Christian speakers had never had a moment of fear in their lives.  That's sounds good—but their hearers think, "I could never be like that."  Christ hear tells us to share our fears with those to whom we speak.  We need to tell them how with his help we overcame those fears—even if those fears are now very embarrassing.

Darkness can also be seen as a state of ignorance—we still say, "I was in the dark."  For teachers in particular, it is hard to let out the impression that you've ever been anything but a walking encyclopedia of the faith.  But all of us have been in the situation where we did not know what to do—in darkness.  We need to confess this and share how God has rescued us from that darkness.
Whispered in the ear

The phrase means any private, inner conversation with God.  For example, we need to give praise to God in public for the prayers he has answered—even if we did not particularly want to share that certain request.  More than that, each of us has an innermost core, touched by God.  If the world is to see how deep, wide and broad is the love of God, they must see it in us.  How shall they see it if we do not reveal it?  This is a call to the deepest form of honesty in teaching, preaching and sharing—holding nothing back so that others might know the Lord.

Even the quietest word from God is more valuable than all the chatter on the street.  Proverbs 1:20 gives us the picture of wisdom, calling aloud in the street.  God intends that we share with others that which he has shared with us—and share it freely, generously and without holding back.  Are you willing to open your heart to others, so that they may see God?

____________________

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[nChrist]

April 19

True Value

Mat_10:28-31

Mention the word "audit" to the average business man and you'll get a shudder.  No one likes to be audited.  But companies persist in sending the auditors around?  Why?

In the simplest sense, they are checking on things which they consider important.  It is the way of human beings:  if you think something is important, you check on it.  If the "something" happens to be enumerable, you count it.  We count dollars, sheep and books. We put numbers on ships, cars and airplanes.  We don't count the dirt we sweep up or the sand we walk on.  If it's important, we count it.  Otherwise, not.

And the more important the item, the more important the one who counts.  You may value your books, but the tax man looks at your money.  So then, both from the count and the counter, it appears that you, the child of God, are highly valued—for he counts the hairs on your head.

If, then, God so highly values us, why are we so often afraid that he will let us down?  Why are we so afraid?  Augustine gave us the secret:  I fear, therefore I am not afraid.  Because I fear God, and he values me so highly, I know that in life or death he will care for me.

Even in death?

Is this matter really in the hands of the doctors or the authorities?  They think so;  but remember Jesus before Pilate:  they would not have such authority if God had not given it.

If I die, then is God no longer able to care for me?  Or is to be absent from the body to be present from the Lord?

And—as all die—when I die, should I not look forward to the sure and certain hope of the resurrection of the dead?

Perhaps our fears are related to our attitude towards death.  If we see it as the greatest of terrors, we place a great weapon in the hands of Christ's enemies.  But if we remember that the death of his saints is precious in his sight, we take the power of that weapon away from them.

Oscar Wilde once defined the cynic as the man who "knew the price of everything and the value of nothing."  The world counts people as so many interchangeable units, so many tax dollars, so many Christians to be eliminated.  God counts every bit of us as precious in his sight.  We have the choice:  the view of the cynic, or the view of God.  Our view determines how we face death.

____________________

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[nChrist]

April 20

Confession

Mat_10:32-33

Some other translations render the word given here as "acknowledge" with the word "confess."  There is something to that.  To acknowledge Christ, publicly, is a form of confession.

It is a confession that we are sinners.  Who would seek a savior if not a sinner?

It is a confession that we are not capable of dealing with our own sins, but need Him to do it.

It is a confession that we are being guided by Him, rather than going our own way.

What's curious here is that Jesus does not use the phrase, "have faith."  He uses "acknowledge"  or "confess."  It seems we must make the announcement to the world at large that we are believers in the Christ.  Why?

First, it trains us in boldness.  The life of a disciple is one which requires courage.  We must begin somewhere.

In addition, even the least eloquent of us can add our acknowledgement to those of others.  This adds one more witness to the glory of God;  yours may be the one witness which moves another to come to Christ.

Most important, when you commit yourself to Christ—you "put your money where your mouth is" - you will find the love of Christ growing in you.  You cannot wage war by halves;  you cannot love by halves.

We might look at this as "mere words."  Note that God rewards those words much more richly than we speak them.  If we confess Him, our names go before God in heaven.  If not, then we are denied in heaven.  Think of it this way:  even those who persecute Christians to the death admire the courage with which they go.  If they honor this confession, how much more will God reward it?

How can we do this?  Most of us are neither eloquent nor particularly courageous.  The original wording gives us a clue.  It is almost beyond translation, but the phrase "acknowledge me" really means "acknowledge in me" - that is, you acknowledge Him, but you do so in Him, in His strength—not your own.  He will give you the courage to do so.

But if you will not take that courage, then your denial is his.  You will hear, "Depart from me, you accursed;  I never knew you."  The choice is yours—in this life.

____________________

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[nChrist]

April 21

War and Peace

Mat_10:34-37

This is one of the most troubling and painful passages in the New Testament.
It is painful, because most experienced Christians know from personal experience just what Jesus is talking about.  In our own families we have those who screamingly, stridently object to anyone who is a Christian.  One thing which must be said for this statement:  Christ has in no way tried to minimize the difficulties and troubles of the disciple.  This one may be the most painful.

Christ says he brings a sword—not "war," but a sword.  Why?

The sword is a weapon of personal combat.  You cannot wage war with the sword without being face to face with your opponent—and that is what family warfare feels like.

The sword is an instrument which cuts in pieces—that which divides.  It is fitting, therefore, as a symbol of the civil war which takes place in divided families.

The sword, when wielded properly, cuts in places where divisions already exist—at joints, for example.  The divisions in the family exist as well, between those who seek after righteousness and those who seek family first.

This same sword, however, would have been seen by the people of this time as being something symbolic as well as actual.

It is the emblem of authority.  The sword was not permitted to ordinary citizens, but only those of authority.

It is also the symbol, in the Roman Empire, of impartial justice.  Even today, the statue of justice seen on so many courthouses holds up a sword, which is for impartiality.

In this light we can see why Christ used it.  Why do we cherish the family and its bonds?  Because God ordained the family as the basic unit of society.  It exists, and is upheld, because of the authority of God.  God has granted all authority in heaven and on earth to Christ.  Therefore, the same authority which ordained the family now tells us of something greater—the kingdom of God.  If the family stands in the way of the kingdom, the kingdom—in the form of the Sword of the Spirit—will divide the family, for the kingdom is not to be divided.

It is painful.  We try our best to minimize that pain.  But ultimately we must decide:  the things of this world—even the good things, like the family—or the things of God.

____________________

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[nChrist]

April 22

The Paradox of Life

Mat_10:38-39

Most of us are familiar with the idea of investing money for our future needs.  Depending upon your circumstances, your "investment strategy" may be conservative or risky.  But one thing all the investment advisors agree upon:  diversify.   Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Mark Twain had a different bit of advice:  put all your eggs in one basket—and watch that basket!  There is something of that in what Christ says here.

We have a great desire for security, for the sure thing.   Christ tells us that our security is in God—but that to have that security, we must have faith in Him, for without faith it is impossible to please God.  But faith implies trust and trust implies risk.  Here Christ gives us the measure of the risk:  our entire lives.

This is not investment advice.  It is a description of the way that God works.  He is not interested in the half-hearted, play it safe financier who invests a little time on Sunday just in case this God thing pays off.  He puts it to us quite bluntly:  take up the Cross.

Take up the Cross?

Take up the Cross—and be willing to suffer persecution in this life.

Take up the Cross—and be the willing steward of what God blesses you with, rather than the owner of your own fortune.

Take up the Cross—and be the one who loves others instead of putting yourself first, looking out for number one.

Take up the Cross—ignore the world's way, remain faithful and righteous no matter what the smart crowd is doing.

Why?  Because God will not deal in halves.  He will not have half of you, only all of you—or none of you.  He who commands that you love your family is love Himself, and He comes first.

How often have you heard that the best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother?  Love comes in a hierarchy;  your wife comes before your children, and this benefits both your wife and children.  But at the top of that hierarchy is God himself.  If you do not love him beyond all other things and people—including yourself—it is of no use.

But, if you will put him first in all things, he will reward you richly.  As is the risk, so is the reward.  You risk all in this life;  he rewards you with strength and compassion here and life eternal in the world to come.  That is the real winning investment strategy.

____________________

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[nChrist]

April 23

Rewards

Mat_10:40-42

The phone rings.  It's the preacher at the church.  It seems that Billy Graham is coming to town, and would like to stay in someone's home.  The preacher has recommended yours—but Dr. Graham will be there in an hour or so, we hope this is convenient?  I submit the next hour will be spent in furious housekeeping.

Not that you would view this as a burden—rather, you would see it as a privilege, an honor, to have the joy of hosting someone who has brought so many to Christ.  To have an extraordinary man in your company is reward itself.

Christ gives us much the same principle here.  The Apostles, the prophets, even the least of the disciples are his ambassadors.  The ambassador is due the honor which is due his sovereign.  More than that, Christ's ambassadors are ambassadors of reconciliation—so that they are all the more welcome for the good news they bring.  It does not matter if they are not "great men."  In the army we had a saying:  you salute the uniform, not the wearer.  If he wears the uniform of a prophet of God, salute it.

It is a form of partnership.  The church is composed of members—individuals with differing functions.  The function of those who receive those who travel is an honored one:

First, it is a ministry of encouragement.  How difficult it must be to be a missionary, dependent upon the hospitality of those who might know nothing but your name!  But when you find true hospitality, what an encouragement it must be.

Christ makes it clear that the measure of hospitality is the heart, not the wallet—even a "cup of cold water" in his name will be rewarded.  Even the least, ministering to the least, will be rewarded if this is done for Christ.

God does not view things the way we do.  He looks upon the heart rather than outward appearances.  If your home is beautiful and well appointed it will be of no use if it is not also warm and hospitable to God's traveling saints.  If your roof is humble—even leaky—this is of no consequence either, if your heart is open to the needs of the saints.

There is a joy in this.  No qualifications are posted for this task.  You need not be eloquent, or pious, or learned—just one with an open door.  In this you can reflect your master, whose door is always open to the sinner.  It does not matter how little you have to share;  what matters is that you share what you have.

____________________

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[nChrist]

April 24

Come Away

Mar_6:31-34

As a young child I was raised on military posts.  One of those posts had the last live bugler in the Army.  The entire post ran on bugle calls.  One of those calls was "Retreat."  It does not, in this sense, mean to run away.  It means instead to go back to your tent (or house) and go inside.  But it is not yet time for sleep (that's "taps").  It is the time to reflect upon the day, write the day's reports and prepare for the next day.

Christ understands that we need such things.  Here he attempts to take his disciples away to such a place.   He looks for a solitary place.  This is fitting, for in solitude it is much easier to be humble.  Jesus never sought his time away from the crowds in the houses of the rich, but rather in the desert.  This is fitting to the humility of the son of Man.

The retreat here is with Jesus.  There is no sense of sending the disciples away to think.   Rather, it is a time to get closer to God.  It is a time of refreshing, a time of contemplation, and that requires contact with the living God.

Nothing is more characteristic of Jesus in the handling of the disciples than this.  He tries to given them rest—by having them come away with him.  He is a man like us, and he understands what we need to come back to the work stronger and fresher.

The press of the crowd, in this instance, makes it impossible.  There is an example in this.  These people saw Jesus and the disciples take to a boat.  They then ran around the lake to reach the other side before him.  How many of us, I wonder, are so eager to hear the words of Christ?

James tells us that we should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.  The sequence is interesting.  These people were quick to listen, and that is the starting point of "retreat" with Christ.  There is no sense getting away from the press of humanity if you do not get away to the presence of God.  That demands the habit of listening.

We often see this as a once a year matter, but Christ did not see it that way.  Perhaps we can learn a lesson from the army.  Retreat comes every evening at the same time.  The bugle is blown, and the disciplined soldier retreats to his quarters, there to think, write and plan.  Should we not also hear the trumpet of Christ calling us to retreat to our private places, and there to be quick to hear what our Lord is saying?  The next day's work depends so much on this night's retreat.

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[nChrist]

April 25

You Feed Them

Mar_6:35-44

This miracle, often quoted, is full of instruction in a subtle way.  First, note that the miracle occurs at the end of a day of teaching.  Christ feeds the masses with the living word of God before he will feed them bread.  How often we have reversed that!

The disciples have learned one thing by now:  their master's compassion for the multitudes.  They see them;  they have pity and they do what comes naturally.  They go to their master and ask for help.  Did his reply surprise them?

"You feed them."  It is a challenge.  It is an indication that they have something yet to learn.  Why did Christ do this?

First, because he knew he would not always be with them.  Therefore, they needed to understand that God would give them power as well.

Indeed, he tells them later that they will do even greater things than he has done.  This is the preparation for that time.

The lessons do not stop there.  Another key lesson is this:  work with what you have.  How often have we heard a church pray that God would give them increased offerings, greater teachers, other material things?  Yet here Christ starts with the things they have, no matter that they seem so inadequate.  We ask for material blessings;  he takes the blessings we have and multiplies them.

He does not convert the bread and fishes into something else.  There is a divine style here:  if we have bread and fishes, bread and fishes we shall use.

But we will begin by asking God's blessing upon it.

Why this blessing?  Is it just a formality, or proper Jewish ritual?

It prevents presumption.  The Jews in the wilderness challenged Moses to have God rain down bread on them;  Jesus will have no such challenge.

It also shows that He and the Father are one.

The disciples distribute—note that even in miracles there is work to be done—and come up with twelve baskets.  Twelve baskets?  Yes, one for each of the Apostles.  There is a point here too.  It appears that there is more than enough, but Christ has them collect it too.  It is not fitting to waste God's bounty.

Are you at a point where you are feeling the "All I have." blues in your life?  Do not look to your difficulties, but look to his power.  With God, all things are possible.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
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(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

April 26

Take Courage

Mar_6:47-52

The incident seems strange to us.  It is most noted in Matthew's account for Peter walking on the sea, but there are other features worthy of our attention.  For instance:

Why did Jesus go away alone to prayer, sending them ahead?
He had been intending to be at prayer from early in the morning, but the crowd had pressed him.  He's overdue.

As Son of Man, he is in need of prayer, contact with his heavenly father.
As Son of God, it sets us an example that we too ought to get away to prayer, no matter what else presses.

Why did he wait so long to come to them?

The disciples have been rowing for several hours;  it's about three in the morning.  He wanted them to be at the end of their strength—so they would rely on his.

He also wanted to teach them patience—the great virtue of waiting upon the Lord.
Why did he start to pass them by?

It was certainly not inattention to their plight.  But perhaps it gave them one last chance to do it themselves.

Certainly, however, he wanted to cause them to cry out to him, for in crying to God we trust in him.

Why did they not understand?

The passage tells us that they did not understand the miracle of the loaves.  They saw Jesus as man in the universe;  He taught them that he is Lord and Creator of the universe.

They did not understand because their hearts were hard;  perhaps he arranged all this to crack those hardened hearts.

It is comforting to note that he spoke to them first, telling them who he was—and to take courage.  The disciple knows the master by his voice.  "It is I" - an echo of "I AM", the very name of God.  Note too that when he enters the boat and sits down, the wind and waves die down.  When Christ enters the ship—or the human heart—there is peace, for the master of all things created cannot be overthrown by his creation.

If there is no peace in your heart today, is it because you have not allowed the Creator himself to come in and sit down?  If the heart is hard, he must crack it first.  Soften it first, and have peace.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________