Today’s Reading: Matthew 16:13-28

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” – Matthew 16:13-15

What a powerful question for the disciples; what a powerful question for us today. Who do we believe Jesus to be? When others ask us about our faith, who do we declare Jesus to have been 2,000 years ago, and how do we describe his presence in our lives today? Simon Peter declared in confidence who he now understood Jesus to be.

“YOU ARE THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.”

Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. – Matthew 16:17-20

This was a pivotal moment in the lives of the disciples; this was a moment of affirmation for Simon, Son of John. Jesus took the faith of a man who believed Jesus was who he said he was and made it a foundation on which to build generation after generation of faith. Believing in Jesus provides a solid rock on which to grow a community of faith for the sake of building the Kingdom of God. When we stand strong on our acknowledgement of the divine nature of Christ, hearts are strengthened and the church is effective in doing the work to which God has called us.

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. – Matthew 16:21-22a

“HEAVEN FORBID, LORD,” HE SAID. “THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO YOU!”

Peter was listening to Jesus. Jesus had said that whatever Peter would forbid on earth would be forbidden in heaven, and whatever he permitted on earth would be permitted in heaven. He was ready to test this new authority because he loved Jesus with all of his heart. The thought of Jesus suffering was more than he could bear; it was more than he wanted to allow. Perhaps if he confidently forbade the death of Jesus, he could stop these horrible things from happening. But Jesus made it clear that Peter was to follow the heart and will of the Father rather than lead according to his own desires. No matter how much he wanted this one thing, it was not for him to change the plan of God.

Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.” – Matthew 16:23-28

“WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?”

We are human and, therefore, we tend to see this life through a human point of view. With a heart of mercy, we often want to protect those we love — to permit something on earth so that it will also be permitted in heaven. This leads us to softening our stance on sin and looking for ways to broaden the way to God’s Kingdom so that more can enter in — so that those we love will not be lost. But Jesus made it clear that it is not for us to lead according to our own way, but God’s; if we hang on to our own life, we will lose it. It is the Son of Man who will judge all people according to their deeds.

Peter’s understanding of who Jesus was did not come from human teaching; it came from God. The Spirit was actively working in Peter’s life to build a faith on which others could find their way to salvation. Now Peter was being called to follow Jesus by giving up his own way and letting go of his own life, allowing the Spirit to continue to give him a heavenly perspective.

God is calling us, the Church, to do the same — to take up our cross and follow Jesus, to pray for God’s will to be done and not our own, and to lead others according to God’s way. May we submit to our Lord and declare today that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Let’s pray as Jesus taught us to pray.

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. – Matthew 6:9b-13 (KJV)

Today’s Reading: Mark 8:22-26, 8:31-9:1; Luke 9:21-27; Psalm 147

When they arrived in Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?”

The man looked around, “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.”

Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. Jesus sent him away, saying, “Don’t go back into the village on your way home.” – Mark 8:22-26

Jesus led the blind man out of the village in order to heal him, but mostly to set up a much needed conversation with his disciples. Things were intensifying all around them and he wanted them to be aware of what was ahead.

SPEAKING PLAINLY

Jesus knew that the disciples’ understanding was blurry, just like the man’s vision. He had taken them from complete darkness to a fuzzy understanding. Now it was time to speak plainly. Now it was time for Jesus to reveal to them what was ahead.

Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.

Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” – Mark 8:31-33

Peter’s intentions were good. He responded from a heart that loved Jesus and was willing to protect him from those who were plotting against him. But that kind of well-intended reaction was not going to help Jesus prepare for what was ahead, and it certainly was not going to help Peter. He needed to give up his own way and see the upcoming events from God’s point of view.

Perhaps this is where many of us struggle the most. Perhaps it is the submission of my own understanding that causes my faith to grow the most. I must trust the wisdom of a magnificent and caring God, even when the outcomes around me do not make sense.

GOD IS CALLING US TO GIVE UP OUR OWN WAY AND SUBMIT TO HIS.

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:23-27

My prayer for all of us is that God would reveal much to us today. I pray that God will help us to see beyond our limited, human point of view to His heavenly perspective. I pray for moments today when we are reminded of whom we serve and how powerful He is. No situation or circumstance is too big for Him.

How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!
His understanding is beyond comprehension! – Psalm 147:5

Heavenly Father, give us eyes to see beyond our human point of view and increase our understanding of how things look from YOUR perspective. Give us the strength to daily take up our cross and follow you; give us the courage to live out our faith unashamedly. Lord, our hearts are heavy this morning as we lift up to you those who are grieving, those who need your healing touch, and those who are struggling to remember that you are a great and loving God. We pray for you to reveal yourself to them today. We love you and we trust you. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 16:5-20; Mark 8:14-21, 27-30; Luke 9:18-21

SPEAKING FIGURATIVELY

But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. – Mark 8:14-16

The disciples were struggling to distinguish when Jesus was speaking to them in literal terms and when he was speaking figuratively. He often spoke to them in parables but they still had not figured out how to relate the words of Jesus to real life situations. They were missing the meaning of what Jesus was trying to teach them because they were thinking in human terms instead of spiritual concepts.

Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”

“Twelve,” they said.

“And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”
“Seven,” they said.

“Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them. – Mark 8:17-21

SPEAKING LITERALLY

How many baskets would it take? When would they understand that Jesus could multiply what they had if he chose to? Why were they operating as if they did not know who was in the boat with them and what he was capable of?

It seems as if Jesus would have been frustrated with their lack of understanding and their simplistic thinking, yet he took the time to meet them where they were at and help bring them to where he needed them to be. He understood their confusion and patiently went back to square one with them:

Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.”

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”

But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. – Mark 8:27-30

So often we need a reminder of who God is when we are going through a time of uncertainty or confusion. Our Heavenly Father will reveal Himself to us if we will simply look beyond our earthly understanding to see things from God’s perspective. Not only will He help us understand who He is, He will help us understand who He is calling us to be.

Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” – Matthew 16:17-19

Peter knew who Jesus was because God had revealed it to him. He knew that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Son of God Himself, and no one needed to tell him that. God had opened Peter’s eyes and given him understanding because He had a plan for Peter’s life and for the life of all of Jesus’ disciples — to build the church by spreading the truth about who Jesus is.

Lord, give us eyes to see who you are and give us a heart to pursue your call on our lives. Give us understanding and reveal the meaning of your word to us so that we can help others find their way to you. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Mark 7:24-37, 8:1-13; Psalm 40

As we study the life of Jesus through the eyes of Mark, let’s compare three miraculous moments in Jesus’ ministry. Remember the mother we discussed two days ago? She came to the house where Jesus was staying and fell at his feet. She begged Jesus to cast the demon out of her little girl. Can you hear the desperation in her voice? Can you imagine the sorrow she was experiencing every time the evil spirit took over her daughter? She did not just ask Jesus to heal her daughter; she begged him for it. She persisted in her request and Jesus responded.

Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, Jesus told her, “First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.”

“Good answer!” he said. “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.” And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone. – Mark 7:26b-30

SHE BEGGED JESUS TO HEAL HER CHILD, AND HE DID.

Next Jesus went up to Sidon before heading back to the Sea of Galilee. A deaf man was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man so that he could be healed from his speech impediment and hearing disability. Can you hear the concern of those who loved this man? They did not just ask Jesus to heal their friend; they begged him for it.

Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!

Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.” – Mark 7:33-37

THEY BEGGED JESUS TO HEAL THEIR FRIEND, AND HE DID.

About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.” – Mark 8:1-3

Jesus saw the needs of the crowd and responded in compassion. You would think his disciples would know by now how this works, but they still marveled over how they were supposed to feed the crowd with the amount of food they had. They had seen Jesus do wonderful things, yet they forgot that everything he does is wonderful!

His disciples replied, “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?”

Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”

“Seven loaves,” they replied.

So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd. A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them.

They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were about 4,000 men in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten. – Mark 8:4-9

THEY DIDN’T ASK JESUS TO FEED THEM, BUT HE DID.

Here are three stories of Jesus doing something miraculous, and there is one common thread. Do you see it? The little girl needed Jesus to do something amazing for her, but she did not ask. She was not in a place where she could. But she had a parent who responded to her struggle and fell on her knees in front of Jesus on behalf of her daughter. Her daughter was not healed after she asked Jesus once, so she persisted by continuing to beg Jesus.

The man with a speech impediment and hearing loss did not ask Jesus to heal him, but there were people in his life who valued him enough to take him to Jesus. When he could not speak the words to ask Jesus to heal him, his friends brought his needs to Jesus for him. Although he wanted his life to be different, it was his friends that had faith it could be, if only he could meet Jesus.

The crowd had been following Jesus for three days. They were in the wilderness without food, with a long journey ahead of them. They did not voice their need to Jesus, yet he cared enough to recognize what they lacked and he provided generously for their needs.

EVERYTHING HE DOES IS WONDERFUL!

This is the Jesus of the Bible and this is the Jesus we serve today. We should keep praying for Jesus to heal our loved ones, because everything he does is wonderful! We should keep bringing our friends to Jesus, because everything he does is wonderful! We should keep following Jesus and trust that he will provide for our needs, because everything he does is wonderful!

They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.” – Mark 7:37

Today’s Reading: Mark 7:1-23; Psalm 51

The religious leaders were curious about Jesus in one moment and then annoyed by him in the next. Their world revolved around following rules and traditions, but Jesus’ focus was on the inward condition of the heart over the outward display of religious practices. They were busy displaying self-righteousness, instead of relying on God’s righteousness to be lived out in them. On this day remembered by Mark, they asked Jesus why his disciples did not follow the tradition of performing the hand-washing ceremony before they ate.

IT IS NOT ABOUT CLEAN HANDS BUT CLEAN HEARTS.

Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,
‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’
For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”

Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.” – Mark 7:6-13

Jesus was not opposed to the practice of washing your hands before you eat. In fact, it’s a really good idea to come to the dinner table with clean hands. What Jesus was emphasizing is that it is more important to come with clean hearts than clean hands; the focus is not on an outward display of religion, but inward evidence of relationship. We should not get caught up on our favorite best practices of religion yet willfully disregard the needs of those around us. We should not get so caught up in our service to the Church or our community that we forget to serve our Christ.

IT IS NOT AN OUTWARD DISPLAY OF RELIGION, BUT INWARD EVIDENCE OF RELATIONSHIP.

Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.”

Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used. “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.)

And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” – Mark 7:14-23

CLEAN HANDS ARE EASIER THAN CLEAN HEARTS.

I think one of the reasons we try to clean up our outward performance is because we know the fickleness of our own heart. To try to purify my own heart and thoughts is impossible. My hands may look clean on the outside, but I look down and see the guilt of all my hands have done. How can a holy God accept me? I am overwhelmed with shame, for it is impossible to get the stains off my hands and I have failed to tame the desires of my heart, let alone my tongue. I fear that if our God Almighty looks at my heart, I’m doomed.

Oh, but we serve a generous God — a God of mercy and compassion. He does not require us to come to him as perfect, sinless servants. No, God’s love for us is so amazing that He is the One who performs the transformation within us. When we surrender our hearts and hands to Him, His Spirit moves in and begins to work in us. Day by day, we begin to see a difference in what we desire because the Spirit is aligning our hearts with God’s. He is removing the stain of our sins and cleansing us with His righteousness. Together let’s pray this prayer from Psalm 51:

Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.
For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
But you desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there.
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—
now let me rejoice.
Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. – Psalm 51:1-11

Today’s Reading: Matthew 15:21-39, 16:1-4

SHE BEGGED FOR MORE.

Next we see a direct contrast between what was in the heart of the Jewish leaders and what was in the heart of one Gentile woman. This woman’s daughter was possessed by a demon who was tormenting the daughter severely. Take a minute to try and comprehend the magnitude of her grief. The daughter who used to crawl into her lap, run her fingers through her hair, and give her sweet kisses was gone. She was now daily tormented mentally, emotionally and physically. The level of suffering this mother and daughter were both experiencing is indescribable.

With the intense love of a mother, this woman continued to beg Jesus to heal her daughter, even to the point that the disciples begged him to make her go away. The Jewish people, including the disciples, did not want to share Jesus with the Gentiles, whom they considered beneath them. Jesus, knowing the sinful prejudice in their hearts, had this conversation for their benefit:

Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep – the people of Israel.”

But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master’s table.”

“Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed. – Matthew 15:24-28

JESUS GAVE MORE.

While the Jewish leaders were demanding miraculous signs and explanations (Matthew 16:1-4), this Gentile woman was worshiping Jesus (v. 25) and BOLDY YET HUMBLY BEGGING for a miracle. She received what she wanted because she came to Jesus with words that revealed her heart — a heart that believed Jesus could give her the one thing she wanted more than anything else. She asked for Jesus to give her back the daughter she loved.

This woman was not the only Gentile to display faith. Many brought their lame, blind, crippled, mute and sick to Jesus to be healed. They were amazed when Jesus healed them — amazed that he could but also amazed that he would. Jesus showed that he had a heart of compassion for all people — Jews and Gentiles, men and women. He had come to bring salvation to all.

Word spread fast among the people of how wonderful Jesus was. For three days they stayed near Jesus in anticipation of what he was about to do. Jesus had compassion and fed 4,000 men, along with the women and children, with only seven loaves and a few small fish. The people in that region displayed a heart of faith and experienced the miracle of satisfaction.

So where do I sit on this continuum between those who try to serve a Jesus-on-demand and those whose life reveals a heart of faith? Have I ever demanded a miracle from God or demanded an explanation for something He has allowed in my life? Or am I in the habit of simply inviting the God of miracles to come and do something supernatural among us? Am I begging God for MORE with a humble yet passionate spirit while worshipping Him as my Lord and Savior?

A few years ago, I had a friend reveal to me what she and her husband were praying for. The magnitude of the miracle she was requesting from God was bigger than anything I have ever prayed. I found myself humbly asking God for that kind of faith — a faith that would dare to pray BIG! I want to believe that God is capable of giving me anything I could ask for while also trusting Him no matter how He answers.

Lord, give me a heart of faith that is evidenced by both the life I live and the words I speak. Even more, may my faith be evidenced in the prayers I lift up to you. I pray that you are pleased with the heart of my worship. Thank you for giving your life on a cross for our salvation. I kneel before you today with my heart wide open so that you can reveal in my anything that needs to be changed, and so that you can place in me the desires of your heart. Lord, I pray this morning for those who are grieving a loss or in desperate need of a miracle. May our voices unite as we humbly beg for your healing touch on those we care deeply for. We love you, Lord. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 15:1-20

One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.” – Matthew 12:38

THEY DEMANDED MORE.

The Pharisees demanded miraculous signs from Jesus. There was a popular expectation in Jewish tradition that the Messiah would perform spectacular miracles on demand when he arrived. So to test whether or not Jesus was the Messiah, the Jewish leaders demanded that he perform for them.

But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights…” – Matthew 12:39-40

JESUS REVEALED MORE ABOUT WHO HE WAS.

Jesus was revealing to them the most incredible thing that would happen in all of history and they missed it. The people of Nineveh repented when they heard Jonah’s message but the Jewish leaders refused to repent when they heard the gospel message straight from the Son of Man’s lips. The queen of Sheba had traveled a great distance to hear words of wisdom from Solomon and she was not disappointed at what she found, yet the Pharisees refused to listen to the words of wisdom spoken by someone SO much greater than Solomon (12:41-42).

Jesus told the religious leaders that he would spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth or the grave, and it was as if they never heard him. Instead of listening closely and finding the powerful truth Jesus was revealing, the Pharisees DEMANDED AN EXPLANATION from Jesus.

“Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.” – Matthew 15:2

Jesus answered their demanding question with a demanding question of his own: “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’…” (Matthew 15:3-4a).

Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” – Matthew 15:10-11

Immediately the disciples went to Jesus concerned that he had offended the Pharisees by what he had said. But Jesus’ strong words did not defile him and he was not afraid to speak truth, even if it offended others. He did not soften his stance for the sake of popularity or position but boldly exposed sin.

Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.” – Matthew 15:13-14

Jesus’ advice for his followers on how to handle the response of those who are offended by Jesus’ words and actions was to ignore them (NLT). Leave them (NIV), let them be (CJB), stay away from them (CEV). Do not listen to them (EASY), let them alone (KJV). He did not say to be outraged, to make a speech, or to react with our own offense. Our Heavenly Father will do the uprooting while we continue to take our questions to Jesus.

Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”

“Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart – that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.” – Matthew 15:15-20

In the same way that the religious leaders revealed the sin in their hearts by the words they spoke and the demands they made, we also reveal our spiritual condition by what we say. When our heart is not completely submitted to what God has for us, we see the results of that in our behavior and our conversation. So choosing our words carefully and intentionally avoiding strong language does not have to be a sign of legalism, but can simply be the outflow of the Spirit’s work in our lives. He takes away the desire to sound like the world and behave in a way that does not bring Him glory.

Lord, we thank you for the ways your words continue to teach us today. We ask that you continue to do a work in our hearts and that you will be glorified in everything that we say and do today — not as a result of our human effort but as an indicator of the impact you are having on our hearts. Father, open our eyes to the miracles you are willing to perform all around us if only we will believe. Thank you for saving us from ourselves and teaching us your ways. Amen.

Today’s Reading: John 6:22-59; Mark 6:53-56; Matthew 14:34-36

After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed. – Matthew 14:34-36

“Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?” – John 6:30

What a ridiculous comment for the crowd to make just after Jesus had fed the 5,000 with only five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus had provided for their physical needs by healing their sick, and by feeding them in a similar way to how God had provided manna from heaven for their ancestors. But apparently healing the sick and feeding 5,000 people with a child’s sack lunch was not enough.

THEY WANTED MORE, AND SO DO WE.

How often does God provide for us, yet we sit back and say we have never experienced a miracle or seen God move. God provides for our needs yet we desire more. We look at what others have around us and see what we do not have, rather than focusing on what God has so generously given us.

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35

Jesus warned them not to get caught up in the perishable things this world has to offer (the things that do not last), but spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you (John 6:27). But witnessing miraculous signs was not enough for this crowd, they wanted the ability to perform these miracles themselves; they wanted power and glory (John 6:28-29).

At times our focus is on the desire for God to do something great and mighty through us; we want to do something tangible for others to see. But God’s response to us may be the same as it was to the crowd — to first seek Him, consume Him, believe in Him and fully experience life through Him.

COME AND EXPERIENCE MORE.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” – John 6:47-51

“I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” – John 6:53-58

GOD WANTS TO GIVE US MORE.

God is saying — I can answer your prayers and provide for your needs here on earth, I am capable of that. I can once again show you my generosity and you can experience the miracle of my provision, but I want to provide you with so much more than what you are asking for. I can heal you of your disease, but you will still die eventually. I am offering you something so much greater; I am offering you eternal life!

Perhaps the miracle is not in the provision but in the satisfaction. We know that God is able to provide – the moment of surprise is when we rest in His care, trusting and believing in Him whether or not He provides as we have asked. The miracle is in our satisfaction with what God has done and will do according to His will. Consume the Bread of Life and you will experience the miracle of satisfaction.

At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” – John 6:68-69

ARE WE SATISFIED WITH WHO JESUS IS?

For the disciples, Jesus was enough. They believed that he truly was the Bread of Life, and they were determined to follow Him in pursuit of the answers instead of walking away when they didn’t fully understand. Jesus was enough.

So what about us? Will we be satisfied with all Jesus has to offer us or will we turn away and desert Jesus? Will we be satisfied with who Jesus is and who He is calling the church to be? What miracle will God perform in our hearts today? Let’s choose to rest in God’s provision and find satisfaction with who He is and what He wants to do in our lives.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 14:22-33

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. – Matthew 14:22-23

JESUS SENT THEM OUT ONTO THE LAKE.

Jesus intentionally spent time alone in prayer. So much had happened and he had been consistently surrounded by people. It was time to spend the evening with God — to be refreshed, restored, and renewed. He knew there would be difficult days ahead for him and for his disciples. It was time to reveal himself to his closest followers in a new way.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” – Matthew 14:24-26

Imagine what this might have been like for them. Many of them were fishermen, so this probably was not the first time they had been in a boat when the weather had turned. But perhaps they were farther out from the land than they had been during a storm; perhaps the waves were stronger than they had experienced before. In the midst of the familiar, there was a new challenge, and they were struggling.

JESUS WAS WITH THEM IN THE STORM.

The disciples were where they were told to be. Jesus had insisted they get into the boat and cross over to the other side of the lake. It had been a long day. It was time to send the people home and time to travel to the next place. It was in obeying Jesus that the disciples found themselves in a storm they could not get themselves out of. And in the midst of the heavy waves and strong winds, Jesus made himself known to them. In order to experience the power of Jesus, they had to fully experience the storm.

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said. – Matthew 14:27-29a

JESUS INVITED PETER TO WALK OUT ON THE WATER TO HIM.

The invitation was clear — Jesus was calling Peter to come out onto the water, even though the waves were large and the wind was strong. Peter had a choice to make. He could experience Jesus from the safety of the boat or he could experience Jesus in a place that required a whole new level of faith.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed. – Matthew 14:29b-33

It took a large amount of faith for Peter to step over the side of the boat. One foot in front of the other, he made his way toward Jesus. He was walking on the surface of the water, able to do something he had never seen before because the power of Jesus enabled him to do it. But the storm had not stopped. His experience of Jesus was in the midst of the storm. Overwhelmed with the “what ifs” and extremely aware of the dangerous nature of his circumstances, Peter lost his focus on who he knew Jesus to be, and he began to sink.

I cannot blame Peter here. I know what it is to go over the side of the boat in confidence and then lose focus of Jesus in it all. I know what it is to sink in the midst of life’s storms. But I also know what it feels like for Jesus to reach out and take hold of me, pulling me back to a place of recognizing his power and his authority over the circumstances of my life. It is in those moments when I have truly recognized who Jesus is, just like Peter did.

JESUS LED PETER BACK TO THE BOAT AND CALMED THE STORM.

Lord, thank you for the reminder this morning that it is in the midst of life’s storms that I experience your power. Responding in obedience to what you are calling me to do does not guarantee that there will not be strong winds, heavy rain, and large waves. There will be times when I am in over my head, and my natural response will be fear. But this one thing I know — you are bigger than all of it! You are capable of calming the storm, and I thank you for all of the times I have been blessed by your power over a situation. I recognize today that sometimes you require me to have faith in you while the swell is over my head and the threat of a breaking wave is real. Help me to trust you in those situations. Give me faith to walk on the water to you today. Amen.

Today’s Reading: John 6:16-21; Mark 6:45-52; Psalm 89

That evening Jesus’ disciples went to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. — John 6:16-19a

Stop. Did you catch that? Notice that Jesus did not calm the storm after the disciples had rowed one mile. He did not settle the waves after the second mile. Three miles of rowing and the sea was still churning. Mark’s estimate is that they had rowed somewhere between three to four miles before Jesus made His presence known to them. The disciples had plenty of time to panic — plenty of time to do their best with the raging circumstances around them.

They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination. — John 6:19b-21

This is another great miracle of timing! The moment Jesus stepped into the boat, the storm calmed. Not when he called out to them with the assurance of his presence, but when they “let him” in the boat, the winds and waves relaxed. When they allowed Jesus to step into their situation, they immediately found themselves where they had been trying to go.

THE TIMING OF JESUS’ ACTION WAS BEAUTIFULLY CHOREOGRAPHED AND THE FAITH OF THE DISCIPLES WAS STRENGTHENED.

What is your story of God’s perfect timing in your life — timing that confirmed God was at work rather than a simple coincidence? Perhaps you are in the midst of the storm right now, rowing until God chooses to calm the waves and winds. My friend, know that God has not abandoned you during the storm; He is with you. I pray He gives you the strength to keep rowing and that your faith continues to grow during this storm you are experiencing.

The disciples were never alone, Jesus had not abandoned them in the storm. He was there all the time, waiting for the perfect moment to say, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!”

My prayer for you this year is that you will hear Jesus speak to you over and over again. Perhaps this last season has been marked with uncertainty and loss. As you turn the page to a new chapter, I pray you see Jesus walking on the water. Perhaps your present struggle can be described as a long arduous journey. I pray this morning that you will know without a doubt that God is with you and that you can trust in His perfect timing. Remember, God is never late and He is never early – He is always on time! He has a purpose and we need to wait patiently as He accomplishes His kingdom work.

The disciples began to worship Jesus when He stepped into the boat and the storm calmed. Let’s choose to worship Him while still rowing through the storm, grateful for how far He has brought us and praising Him in confidence for what He is going to do. Let’s recognize His presence in the midst of the waves and wind.

You rule the oceans.
You subdue their storm-tossed waves.
You crushed the great sea monster.
You scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours;
everything in the world is yours—you created it all.
You created north and south.
Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon praise your name.
Powerful is your arm!
Strong is your hand!
Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.
Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.
Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,
for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation.
They exult in your righteousness.
You are their glorious strength.
It pleases you to make us strong.
Yes, our protection comes from the Lord,
and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king. – Psalm 89:9-18

Do you have a story of God’s timing you would like to share with the rest of us? You can do so by visiting facebook.com/mymorningcoffeedevo. Look for today’s blog post, and comment on how God has been ON TIME in your life or how you are currently waiting for God’s perfect timing.