The passages in Matthew are so familiar to me I’m tempted to skim read them. However I know that the Bible is the only book that the Author is present with me while I read so I asked God to show me something new. Here are some of my brief thoughts that challenged my faith and how urgently I seek God.
In Matthew 16 we read the story of how Jesus feeds the 4000. What I found different about passage compared to the feeding of the 5000 is that Jesus provokes the conversation about not wanting to send the people away hungry.
Then 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. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.” -Matthew 15:32
When I read this I reflect on my own spiritual hunger. I think about how God gives us all the food we need, if we spend time with Him. The people had been with Jesus for three days. God gives us what we need when we spend time with Him so we don’t faint along our journey through life. In fact verse 37 says, “they all ate as much as they wanted.” There was also leftover food. It’s so important to be filled and be able to share the ‘leftovers’ with others. Isn’t it comforting to know God will never be an empty source to us. He is always able to provide for us.
When I think about the woman mentioned earlier in the chapter with the demon possessed daughter, Jesus says, “…your faith is great. Your request is granted.” Spending time with God in quietness will give us all what we need so we don’t faint along our journey and it will also help our faith to grow. If this woman had not had the faith to insist that Jesus should heal her daughter she would have not seen results. She just wanted a scrap size portion of what she knew He could offer to her and had faith that it would be enough. God values our persistence in prayer, it is a display of our faith and draws us closer to Him. How does my level of faith determine what God grants me? Jesus healed them all…do I trust He can do the same for me and my loved ones?
A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. – Matthew 15:30
In Matthew 14 we read about how the crowd pressed in on Jesus and begged to at least touch the fringe of his robe. I underline the words ‘at least’ because I was imagining their faith being so big that they knew they didn’t need a special prayer or a ceremony to be healed but just a tiny touch. Verse 35 says they brought all their sick to be healed. The challenge here for me is not only to have faith that God can do a work in my life but to go to Him with everything in urgency and desperation believing it will make a difference. These people wanted to touch just the fringe of his garment, what do I want?
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: 35, 36
Bring everything to God with urgency and have faith that is persistent and real. Don’t be like the people in Jesus’s hometown, he only did a few miracles there because of their unbelief.
in the clay,
Chantal Dube