The Third Day

Click here to read John 2:1-11

A crisis arose on the third day in a wedding that took place at Cana: the wine had given out. Whether the crisis was due to excess demand or limited supply is anyone’s guess. The problem is reported to Jesus and He goes on to provide a solution which happens to be His first miracle. The wine had given out. There was no wine left. What does that infer? It infers that the wine jars or wine skins that carried this very wine (which had given out) were empty. I do not know how many wine jars or wine skins were at that wedding that day. But I do know that they were empty. So the problem is reported to Jesus and He suggests a solution:

“Fill the stone jars with water.”

“But Jesus you don’t understand!!! The problem I have here is NOT that that my water jars are empty. The problem here is that my wine jars are empty. Can you help me or not?”

“Fill the stone jars with water”

Has it ever occurred to you that you have filed petitions at the throne of grace regarding empty wine jars and His response has had to deal with the filling of your water jars? You think the problem here is A and you approach God for a solution to problem A, but God in turn seems to focus on B and you wonder where all this is leading to. Your heart says “God is in control” but your mind cannot help but wonder when and where the solution will come. You even wonder if God is ignoring your empty wine jars. “Maybe I went wrong somewhere” “Maybe I am not praying enough” “Maybe it is not God’s will” You alone know the battles that go on continually in the arena of your thoughts.

Imagine with me for a moment that I am at that wedding that day. I go across to the servants who have been appointed to work on a solution to solve this particular crisis.

“So what are you doing to replenish the wine? We need a solution real fast!”

“We’re filling stone jars with water”

“I beg your pardon?”

“We’re right now in the process of filling about 6 stone water jars which carry 20 or 30 gallons (90 or 136 litres) each with water”

“Are you out of your mind? And how is that going to replenish the wine?”

“Well, to be frank, we don’t know”

“We have a crisis on our hands here and you intend to revert it by filling stone jars with around 600 litres of water???”

Has it ever occurred to you that you have been lost for words when a someone has asked you what you intend to do regarding your current situation? You dare not open your mouth for an explanation because you run the risk of sounding absurd or in more contemporary language, crazy. “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, what will they think of me? They know I am your child and they see me struggling with no wine! Do something!!”

“Fill the stone jars with water”

I go back to have a chat with the servants who are filling water.

“Look it’s good that you trust Jesus to work on your behalf. But while you’re at it, filling those jars away with water, shouldn’t you perhaps send some people out to see if they can get some wine from somewhere? You know, it’s going to take a while to draw around 600 litres of water and fill those jars. Meanwhile, you should try and get some wine from somewhere and give that to the guests while Jesus works on His solution.”

Has it ever occurred to you that the solutions people suggest have thrown you into panic? “Lord what am I not doing? Should I try this? Or maybe that? This worked for her, so maybe I should try that.” “I could place a home delivery order for wine at a nearby restaurant!!”

“Fill the stone jars with water”

The servants filled the jars to the brim. Jesus did not speak a single word till then. Well if Jesus knew that He was going to make the water into wine, why didn’t He do that as soon as the servants started filling water? A few servants could keep filling water into those jars while others could draw the water that has now become wine and serve it to the guests. That would eliminate a lot of delay! (And not to mention embarrassment for the bridegroom's family) Has it ever occurred to you that you have pondered over how long it will take for your miracle to come to pass? How long did it take for the servants to fill the jars to the brim? We do not know. The Bible has not given us enough data either to make an approximate assumption. (The number of servants? The number of 20 gallon jars? The number 30 gallon jars? etc.) However we do know the servants filled the jars, till they could fill no more.

“Fill the stone jars with water”

The responsibilities God has given you today may not seem to have any connection or relevance at all with your personal needs. You wonder how this path you take today will ever lead you to your miracle. Do not lose heart. Persevere in it and you will be surprised at how God can do exceedingly, abundantly more than you can ever ask or imagine. Rejoice and be glad for you serve a God who knows the end from the beginning.

“But how does what I do now help me in achieving my dream? My dream is that I have surplus wine. However, what I do now is that I draw water and then fill stone jars with it. What I am now seems to paint a contradicting picture to where I want to be!”

Well there was this Nazorean from Galilee who was destined to be King forever over David’s throne. They tell me He was ridiculed and spat upon. I did not see how that would propel Him to be a King. They tell me He was stripped and then beaten with whips. I did not see the connection between the destiny and the bruised back. They tell me He was executed like a criminal – hung on a cross between two thieves. I did not see how that could fit into the résumé of someone who was destined to be King. He died and they sealed His body in a tomb. I did not understand how someone shut up in a tomb is destined to reign forever as King because where He is now seems to paint a contradicting picture to where He is destined to be. News began to spread that it has been two days since the corpse of the Nazorean who was destined to be King has been lying behind a large stone, the Roman seal and two soldiers.

As the audience were anticipating “THE END” to come up on the screen, something happened on the third day…

On the third day, there was a wedding… (John 2:1)

Word becomes flesh

Click here to read I Kings 18:41-46

There had been no rain in the land for three and half years. The Word of the Lord comes to Elijah saying, “Go, and present yourself to Ahab. I will send rain on the earth” (1 Kings 18:1) Elijah thus becomes an heir of a promise – a promise of rain; a Word from the Lord. Most of us have a Word from the Lord - you may call it your vision, or a prophecy over you, or your dream, or your destiny. However, it takes a process for that Word to become flesh i.e. for that Word to manifest itself physically. If you are a recipient of a spoken Word from God and in the process of waiting for that Word to be manifest physically, then please take into consideration the principles listed below:

1. Spoken word – never needs a “battery change”

It eventually rained after three and a half years. Regarding this incident, James writes in Chapter 5, verse 17 “…the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest” Notice two keywords in this verse .i.e. “gave” and “its.” Both these words indicate a sense of personal belonging. Heaven gave rain – which means heaven had rain within itself to give. The earth yielded its harvest – which means the earth had harvest within itself to yield. Both the earth and the heaven had it in them to prove the spoken word of God to be true. Hebrews 1:3 says “The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word…” In other words, there isn’t a single thing that God has created, for which He does not have the power to sustain. Appliances manufactured by the spoken Word, do not need a battery change. If God has spoken a Word into your life, He will not only do it, He will sustain what He does too.

2. Sound or light – which travels faster?

On a stormy day, one may get to witness both thunder and lightning. I am told that because light travels faster than sound, I will see the lightning before I hear the thunder. It reaches the eye before it reaches the ear. However, I see the opposite principle operate with respect to the spoken Word. Elijah said to Ahab that there is a “sound of rushing rain.” (I Kings 18: 41) However, Elijah did not see the rain until much later. It reached his ear, before it reached his eye. Since the spoken Word operates this way, it is often difficult to convince people around us, about what God has spoken to us, because you are trying to get them to “see” what you have “heard.” The people around us will continue to confess “there is nothing,” just like Elijah’s servant did all those six times he went up to look toward the sea, until they “see” what you have “heard.” If you have “heard” God’s spoken Word in your spirit, rest assured that it will soon be manifest in flesh, both for you and for those around you to “see.”

3. Party and prayer – a paradox

“Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of rushing rain.’ So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; there he bowed himself down upon the earth and put his face between this knees.” (I Kings 18: 41, 42) When God opens up the heavens and sends down rain, both Elijah and Ahab are beneficiaries. Both of them had lived through the drought. However, this spoken Word about the impending rain sends Ahab to party and Elijah to prayer. Since a child of God is involved in His universal purposes, the spoken Word over his/her life will have other beneficiaries too. Although it is reason enough for the beneficiaries to party, it will cost you time on your knees in prayer. Be aggressive in prayer over God’s spoken word.

4. Sea or sky – where will you look?

Elijah tells his servant to go look “toward the sea.” Why would anyone who is expecting rain look toward the sea? It would make sense if he looked toward the sky! But why look toward the sea?? His servant eventually tells Elijah that he sees “a little cloud no bigger than a person’s hand” rising out of the sea. They tell me that the source of rain is the water evaporated from the sea, which eventually form clouds. In other words, Elijah’s focus was on the “source” (sea) and not on the “means” (clouds). It is one thing to “look toward” God when in poor health, but it is totally another to still keep looking toward God when the doctor says “you’ll be fine as soon as you pop this pill.” It is one thing to “look toward” God when in lack of resources, but it is totally another to still keep looking toward God when someone comes along and offers help with the resources. Even though Elijah had the “offer” through a “means” his eyes were still on the “source” If God has spoken a Word into your life and you are eagerly expecting its manifestation, continue to keep your eyes on Him, Who is the source (sea) of all blessing and not on the means (clouds) through which He may provide (rain).

5. Hope and pray – inseparable

Elijah is on his knees - this represents prayer. His servant shuttles between “looking” and “reporting” and “looking” – this represents hope. When a report comes back saying “there is nothing,” Elijah does not quit his position on the knees. Neither does he quit sending the servant back to “look.” Often Christians lose hope after the first report which in turn causes prayer to lax. A lax in prayer will cause a lax in hope. If you have received a spoken Word from God, continue praying in hope and hoping in prayer.

6. Lagging behind – a common worry

One of the common causes of concern for the Christian is the feeling of “lagging behind” due to delayed answers to prayer. You feel others are better equipped and far ahead of you in the journey of life. Ahab had the chariots of the palace to transport him – Elijah had his legs. Theoretically, Ahab is supposed to finish the race first. Some may trust in horses, some may trust in chariots, but we will trust in the name of our Lord. Elijah had what Ahab didn’t - the hand of the Lord upon Him. What was supposed to be a lag was turned to a lead when hand of the Lord came upon Elijah. I fondly remember a statement Dr George* once made during my college years in one of his teaching sessions – “The Bible says ‘our times are in His hands.’ How dare then, we say ‘it is too late’?” God’s word will be fulfilled in God’s time.

7. Take heart - you are not alone

I hope an understanding of the above six principles helps in throwing more light into what James really means by saying “Elijah was a man just like us” He went through every possible emotion you and I go through. “No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; He'll never let you be pushed past your limit; He'll always be there to help you come through it.” (I Corinthians 10:13, The Message)

“In a little while, the heavens grew black with clouds and wind; there was a heavy rain…” I Kings 18:45. It is only a “little while” before the Word becomes flesh. The God of Elijah is also your God and my God.

*Dr George is a Professor of Mathematics at the college where I studied. He spent time teaching us the Word almost every Tuesday evening.

The principle of contribution

“One day Jesus sat down opposite the temple treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then He called His disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44

Upon reading the above text, I decided to do a study on how much money this widow really had. A more accurate understanding of the currencies and the denominations used can be gained by looking into the original Greek text. For example the word “penny” appears in the New Testament a few times in most modern translations (“farthing” in traditional translations), but the root word has several meanings. I would like to illustrate how much money this widow had by comparing two verses: i.e. Mark 12: 42 and Matthew 10:29.

Matthew 10:29

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny [in Greek - assarion]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

Mark 12:42

But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, [in Greek - two lepta] worth only a fraction of a penny. [In Greek - kodrantes]

A total of three denominations are mentioned in the above two verses, namely – assarion, lepta and kodrantes. There is another common denomination we find in the bible – denarius (plural denarii), which is the normal daily wage for a labourer. The following are the conversion rates that relate them.

1 assarion = 1/16 denarius

1 kodrantes = 1/64 denarius

1 lepton (plural lepta) = 1/128 denarius

Based on the above equations and according to Jesus in Matthew 10:29:

The price for 2 sparrows = 8 lepta.

Therefore I assume the price for 1 sparrow = 4 lepta.

The money the widow had = 2 lepta.

In other words, all that the widow had could not even buy a sparrow! Jesus used that illustration in Matthew 10:29 to emphasize that even the smallest, most insignificant creature is taken care of by the Father – Not one of them will fall to the ground without the Father. The object Jesus picked up, to depict the lowest “value” was a sparrow. What the widow contributed was lower that than the lowest as per Jesus’ example. Yet, Jesus considered that the most profound contribution over all the contributors to the treasury.

Legalistically speaking, her contribution really bothers me because she does not have enough resources for any of the “offerings” that would put her in right standing with God. The price for a sin offering was that you had to sacrifice a lamb. If you could not afford a lamb, you could sacrifice two doves or two young pigeons. How can she afford any of these if she cannot even afford a sparrow? Can you imagine her pain and sense of unworthiness? When a woman has her menstrual period, she is considered ceremonially unclean for seven days. On the eighth day after the bleeding stops, she must bring two turtle doves or two pigeons and present them to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. The priest will offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. Through this process, the priest will purify her before the Lord for the ceremonial impurity caused by her bleeding. How can she afford any of this if she cannot even afford a sparrow? Can you imagine her shame and helplessness?

Has it ever occurred to you that you have been “poor” – poor in availability, poor in strength, poor in finances, poor in talents, poor in gifting, poor in ministry, poor in service, poor in receiving opportunities and so on and so forth? Has that brought on you a sense of “disqualification”? The widow does not “qualify” in more ways than one. And yet, even though she lacks the resources that will aid her to rid herself of sin and uncleanness, she makes a contribution which Jesus says is greater than all. She lacks the resources to minister to her own needs, yet according to Jesus, her contribution has been the greatest. Could it be possible that I can be so helpless that I cannot even help myself and yet contribute to God’s temple in manners kings and rulers can’t?

Why was this widow’s contribution considered great? Jesus says “she put in more than all that have contributed” Notice the word “all”. Jesus does not use the word “any.” He used the word “all.” If Jesus had said, “she put in more than “any” that have contributed” it would mean she is the highest individual contributor. However, the manner in which Jesus said it suggests that she contributed more than all of them put together! Such a statement requires us to study the definition of “contribution” as per Jesus’ vocabulary. As per His vocabulary, the greatness of a contribution does not depend on what you give, or how much you give, but on how much you have left, after you give. The lesser you have left after the contribution, the greater the contribution! The widow did not have anything left. The widow did not have anything left!!!

If that is how Jesus defined contribution, I begin to see the glorious gospel through the light of that definition. How? You see when the widow contributed, she had nothing left. Likewise, when Jesus shed His blood for me, he did not have any more blood left. When Jesus gave up his life for me, He did not have any more life left. When the Father gave up His Son, he did not have any more Sons left. When I was forgiven of my sins, I did not have any more un-forgiven sin left. When He erased the record that stood against me, there were no more records left. When He rose again, death no longer had any power left. When He stripped the principalities and powers, they had no more authority left. Oh! What a contribution! What a glorious gospel! Oh I am not ashamed of it because it is the power of God unto salvation to every man that has faith!

Jesus says the widow “put in everything she had, all she had to live on” In other words, after she put in what she did, she had nothing to live on. Nothing to live on. Nothing to live on. The greatest contribution we can make to God is not our preaching, because we can still live on after we give Him that. It is not our money because we can still live on after we give Him that. It is not our talents because we can still live on after we give Him that. If we can ever give Him something after which we have nothing left, then that is the greatest contribution. If we give him our life – all of it, we have nothing left. Am I reckoning myself daily to be crucified with Christ so that it is no longer I that lives?

On my 21st birthday, a friend of mine gifted me a copy of My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. On the inside of the front cover, my friend had written the following:

"This is true:

For God so loved the world that He gave up His Son for Sujith

This also must be true:

For Sujith so loved God that he gave himself up for Him"

His pain, my gain.

Click here to read Mark 8:22-25

"...Jesus led him..." Mark 8:23

One day, some people brought a blind man to Jesus and begged Him to touch him. “Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village…” (Mark 8:23) Notice two things that Jesus did:

1. He took the blind man by the hand

2. He led the blind man out of the village.

I was studying that line very carefully and I realized that:

It DID NOT say:

A. “Jesus took the blind man’s hand and led him out of the village.”

It said:

B. “Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village.”

The “object” of attention in Statement A is “the blind man’s hand.” However the object of attention is Statement B is “The blind man.” Mark 8:23 does not use Statement A, rather it uses Statement B.

I am glad that when I encountered Jesus, He did not take only a few components of me – rather He took all of me. He did not take my hands alone, but he took ME by my hand – and that means a lot to me. It means a lot to me that He did not take my hands alone to serve His purpose – rather He used my hand to take ME – and then work out His purpose through me. He did not take my successes alone, or my failures alone - my strengths alone, or my weaknesses alone - my dreams alone, or my fears alone. He took me. “Jesus took the blind man…”

One of my favourite passages in the Bible is Exodus 12:12a-13: “For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night…The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live. When I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” Notice those two words in the beginning of verse 12 i.e. “that night” That night! That night! Which night? The night the Passover Lamb was slaughtered! That very night a spotless lamb, without any blemish, was slaughtered in each of the houses in Israel. It bled to death slowly, bleating helplessly, suffering intense pain, for no wrong it had committed. Some of that blood was taken and smeared on the doorposts and the lintels of the houses. That night! That night! What happened that night? The angel of death “passed over” them!

What does any of the above have to do with Jesus taking a blind man by the hand? After all that is the central subject of our meditation. There is something about two people holding each other’s hand that is quite simple, yet profound. Question: What is it? Answer: Two people, who hold each other’s hand, can never do so, standing far apart from each other. If anyone has to hold the hand of the other, it can only be done so if they are NEAR each other. If the two parties move far apart, they will cease to hold hands. In other words, Jesus and the blind man can hold hands, only if they are NEAR each other.

What does this observation have to do with the blood of a slain Passover Lamb? Simply this: “Remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought NEAR by the blood of Christ” Ephesians 2: 12, 13. Brought NEAR! Brought NEAR! What brought us NEAR to God? The blood of Jesus, who is our Passover Lamb! The blood brought us NEAR to God and now He holds our hand! It would have never been possible for God to hold my hand unless I was brought NEAR Him. For that to happen, my Passover Lamb had to be slain.

When I think of the goodness of God, who chose to crush His Son with pain and kill him publicly on a cross - so that on account of the blood of His Son, I can be brought NEAR to God, I cannot help but give Him thanks. Christ could have only taken the blind man by the hand if they were NEAR each other. I was far away from God. On account of the blood of my Passover Lamb, I was brought NEAR to God. He took me! Oh, he took me! Not just some of me – all of me. That night! That night! The very night when God saw the blood on my ‘house’, the anger of God passed over me and death passed over me too! I was brought NEAR! NEAR to God.

Whenever I go through life and I feel that God is ‘far away,’ I think of the blood of my Passover Lamb. Why? Because God said “the blood shall be a sign for you…” A sign that His wrath is satisfied. A sign that death passed over me. A sign that I have been brought NEAR. A sign that He took me because I have been brought NEAR by the blood. The Bible says that the blind man was brought NEAR by “some people.” I wonder how many people. Two? Three? A dozen? I will never know... The Bible says that I was brought NEAR by the blood. I wonder how much it cost Him. I will never know, how much…

Now after the blind man is brought “NEAR,” the two hold hands and start walking together. After a while, Jesus lays His hands on him and asks him the strangest question i.e. “Can you see anything?” Why in the world would Jesus ask that? Like He didn’t know in the first place whether the blind man could see or not! Jesus knew everything! He even knew the secret intentions in the heart of the Pharisees! Surely, He should know whether the blind man can see or not! Mark 8:24 “And the man looked up and said, “I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.”

The blind man’s response reveals two things about him. I have stated them below:

Argument 1

He once had sight but then lost it – otherwise how could he recognize that he was seeing people who looked like trees. It indicates that He had prior knowledge of how trees and people look like.

Allegory 1

There is an allegory that can be drawn from the above argument that pertains to Adam’s race. The blind man lost what he once had. Adam also lost what he once had. The blind man’s need was to gain back what he once lost. Adam’s need was also to gain back what he once lost.

Argument 2

His posture prior to the question was such that he faced the ground – otherwise how would he see people, after looking “up”? Assume his posture was already upright prior to the question. The Bible says that upon hearing the question, he looked “up.” If that is so, he would have only seen the sky and not people! In other words, his posture straightened, in response to the question.

Allegory 2

Let me narrate the allegory that can be drawn from the above argument with an illustration. Imagine I lose my car one day and as a result I do not drive for a very long period of time. Now imagine I regain my car again. Although I have regained what I lost, there is something else I have lost over time i.e. the confidence and familiarity to drive. It will do me no good to regain my car, yet lack the ability to operate it. It was important for the blind man to adjust his posture in order to operate what he would regain i.e. his sight. Jesus asked that question, not because He didn’t know the man only had partial sight, but to aid and prepare him to operate what he would regain. Adam’s race lost a lot in the Garden of Eden. It would do me no good if I regain all that Adam lost, if I cannot “operate” it. Everything that the “Last Adam” regained is only useful for me, if it can be made real in me. How can be made real in me? - By the receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will help me “operate” everything that I regained in Christ.

And so, I conclude my thoughts on the glorious gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ – Calvary that helped me regain every thing the First Adam lost and the Holy Spirit that helps me “operate” everything the Last Adam gained.

The blessing of inconvenience

Click here to read Luke 5:1-11

"He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little way from the shore." Luke 5:3

Once upon a time, three fishermen were washing their nets beside a lake called Gennesaret. They had gone out to fish the previous night and tried their best all night to get a catch. However, their attempts were futile and yielded no result. Despite their hard work all through the night, the fishermen returned empty handed. They had two boats, one that belonged to a man called Simon and the other that belonged to James and his brother John. Meanwhile, Jesus was standing beside the same lake and the crowd around Him were pressing in on Him to hear the word of God.

Jesus noticed these two empty boats on the shore as well as the fishermen who were outside the boat washing their nets. He got into the boat that belonged to Simon and asked him to draw the boat a little away from the shore. Once the boat was a little way from the shore, Jesus sat down in the boat and started teaching the crowd.

Now I want you to notice a few things about Jesus from Simon’s point of view. Simon had guided the boat ashore after a long night’s work. He was now cleaning up and getting ready to shut shop. At this point in time, Jesus gets into his boat and asks him to put out a little way from the shore.

Notice the etiquette:

Notice that Jesus did not ask Simon first and then get into the boat. Jesus got into the boat first and then asked Simon. Talk about etiquettes! I wouldn’t be very pleased if you behaved that way with me. It’s only polite to request my permission first and let me know why you need me to put my boat out. If I consent, you may get into my boat and I will put out the boat for you. Jesus on the other hand, gets into Simon’s boat and then asks him to put it out. Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus has perhaps required something from you – maybe an act of service, maybe an apology to make, maybe a financial offering? He has required a step of obedience in some particular from you, but it seems so very unreasonable and impolite. Has Jesus ever put you in such a spot?

Notice the choice:

There were two boats that were on the shore. Jesus could have got into any one of them. He CHOSE to get into Simon’s boat. He could have very well got into the boat that belonged to James and John, but He didn’t. Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus required you to take a step of obedience, but somehow you felt it did not apply to those around you? You do not understand why the compelling voice inside of you to “put out your boat” apparently does not seem to be compelling other people. Have you ever used that as an excuse to delay or reject your obedience to God?

Notice the inconvenience # 1 (past)

Simon had already drawn his boat ashore after working the whole night. It was a job that was already completed. One of the most frustrating things in life is for someone to cause you to undo a work that is already done. If Simon were to put out the boat a little into the sea, he would have to row it back to the shore all over again! His step of obedience implied inconvenience to his past. Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus has required you to take a step of obedience and its implication would mean inconvenience to something that already exists? Maybe it would inconvenience a relationship. Maybe it would it would inconvenience your ego, reputation or status. Have you been delaying or rejecting God’s command because it would inconvenience your past?

Notice the inconvenience # 2 (present)

Simon was working on cleaning his fishing net when the requirement to obey came. If he were to put out his boat a little away from the shore, that would mean an interruption to his work. His step of obedience implied inconvenience to his present. Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus has required you to take a step of obedience and its implication would mean inconvenience to something in the present? Maybe it would inconvenience your current activities or relationships. Maybe a habit. Maybe it would inconvenience the time you spend on some venture. You started off on something and you would really like to complete it, but obeying God would mean halting what you started. Have you been delaying or rejecting God’s command because it would inconvenience your present?

Notice the inconvenience # 3 (future)

Simon had worked all night and was now cleaning his fishing nets. If at all he had planned to go home and catch up on some sleep or do anything else for that matter, he could forget about it now. He had to get back to cleaning the nets once Jesus was done teaching. He had to guide his boat back on the shore too. If Simon were to obey Jesus, it would imply that anything he had planned to do as soon as he was done with cleaning the nets would be jeopardized. His step of obedience implied inconvenience to his future. Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus has required you to take a step of obedience and its implication would mean inconvenience to something in the future? Maybe a future relationship. Maybe a future opportunity. Maybe a future plan. Have you been delaying or rejecting God’s command because it would inconvenience your future?

Now after Jesus finished teaching, he tells Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” He did so and caught so many fish that John and James had to be called over to help him haul it into the boat – and they were all amazed. Now when Jesus wanted to teach the crowd, he told Simon to put his boat out a “LITTLE” from the shore. However when Jesus wanted Simon to cast the net, he told Simon to put his boat out “DEEP” into the sea. In other words, for Simon to reach the “DEEP” he didn’t have to start from the shore, but a “LITTLE” away from the shore. Why? Because the boat was already a “LITTLE” away from the shore! Pushing the boat from the shore out into the waters often requires more strain than rowing the boat when it is already on the water. Half the work had already been done due to a previous “inconvenience!” When God seems to “inconvenience” you on matters of obedience, it is often His way to make it “convenient” for you to receive your blessing!

Listen to God’s response to Israel’s disobedience recorded by the prophet Jeremiah: “For in the day that I brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to them or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them, ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk only in the way that I command you, so that it may be well with you.” (Jeremiah 7: 22, 23) Listen to that! “…walk only in the way I command you, so that it may be with you.” The reason why God wanted Israel to obey was so that it would be “well with them.”

When Simon obeyed Jesus in spite of the “inconvenience”

1. He became a channel of blessing for the crowd at large i.e. His boat became a pulpit for Jesus to teach the crowd

2. He became a channel of blessing to those around him i.e. James and John were not only blessed with fish, but they became disciples of Jesus

3. He received his fish, but more importantly got a call into the service of the Almighty – “…from now on you’ll be catching people.”

God blessed Simon’s past i.e. he failed to catch fish in the past, but now he had plenty. God blessed Simon’s present i.e. the very nets he had to stop cleaning became instruments to haul fish. God blessed Simon’s future i.e. he received a commission to “catch people.” If he hadn’t been willing to accept the “inconvenience” it would have been primarily a loss to the crowd, then a loss to those around him and finally a loss to himself. Every child of God is so universally involved in God’s purposes, that every positive or negative decision, no matter how small, affects not only him, but those around him and the world at large. Whenever I sense God’s “inconveniences” in His commands, I know blessings are just around the corner. Big time!

However one must note that Simon did not obey because he had the prior knowledge of the blessings that would follow nor of his personal loss if he didn't. Simon called Jesus as "Master" indicating that he obeyed because his heart wanted to and not because his mind calculated the losses he would incur if he didn't.

Thirsty?

Click here to read Exodus 17:1-7

"...the people thirsted there..." Exodus 17:3

In this passage of scripture we see the Israelites camping at a place called Rephidim. They had reached Rephidim not according to their own plan, but according to the plan of the Lord. The reason why they were at Rephidim was because they had obeyed the Lord’s command to journey in stages and God had specifically led them there. “…the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded…” Exodus 17:1. In other words, the Israelites were walking under the perfect will of God.

They carried with them the testimony and experience of a fascinating account of God’s power and provision. God with his mighty hand had delivered them from slavery and from Pharaoh. He had split open the red sea before them. They had seen their enemies dead on the seashore. Bread had rained from heaven for them each morning and quails in the evening. Now, the Lord had led them to Rephidim.

It was obedience to the Lord’s command that brought them to Rephidim. However, at Rephidim there was no water for the people to drink. Walking in the perfect will of God, yet lacking provision! Is it possible to walk in complete obedience to God and yet lack His provision? Note verse 3 – “…the people thirsted there for water…” The keyword in that phrase is “there.” Where? - At Rephidim. Where? - At the very place that they God had led them to. What caused them to reach that place? – Their obedience to the Lord’s command. Was it not natural for the Israelites to expect God to provide them with water? They were not asking for anything extravagant. Just plain water to drink. After all, God had provided bread and meat from heaven. Has it ever occurred to you that God has withheld his blessings that you really, really, really need and you could not figure out why?

It was such a test that the Israelites encountered at Rephidim. The people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” Why did they say that? They said that because even though they were slaves in Egypt, they at least had water to drink. Even though they were being lashed by whips by the Egyptians, they at least had water to drink. Even though they had to work and toil hard to make bricks for Pharaoh, they at least had water to drink. In other words, they would have preferred to be in Egypt under slavery than come to Rephidim and die of thirst. In other words, they preferred security over freedom.

Why did God bring them out of Egypt? Was it to give them food, water, clothing and a good home? No. The primary reason was that they would worship God! That a relationship between the Israelites and God would be established and that they would become heirs to the covenants of promise. Food, water, clothing and every other blessing was a by-product – not the main product. The main product was that they would have the privilege to have God to speak to them and live amongst them and have a relationship with them.

Allow me to expand along this line of thought with an illustration. I love the beach for its sheer beauty and hence I visit it whenever I can. That is the main product – the sand and the waves. However, when I go to the beach for the sand and the waves, I am also allowed other privileges: The privilege of feeling the sea breeze; The privilege of watching birds fly around; The privilege of observing fishermen casting nets; The privilege of witnessing the joy of a child playing in water; all this and a lot more. All these are by-products of the main product.

If you were to take any of these by-products away, I would still return to the beach. This reveals the real reason behind my visit to the beach. If you were to take the fishermen away, I would still want to visit the beach. If you were to take the birds away, I would still want to visit the beach. However, if you were to take the sand and the water and waves away, I would not return to the beach, regardless of the presence of the by-products. The entity, upon whose elimination, I lose the desire to visit the beach, is the essential and actual stimulus behind my visit to the beach.

Coming back to the Israelites, when the entity of water to drink was eliminated for a while, they expressed that it would have been better for them to remain in Egypt. What does that reveal? It reveals that all along it was not God they were after but His blessings! They considered His blessings the main product! When God withholds His blessings from your life for a while – as elementary as drinking water – do you feel your faith staggering? Do you feel the flame diminishing? Do you start complaining and murmuring? Do you start questioning God’s love? If you are honest and take a close look at yourself you will come to the humiliating revelation that you have been serving God for your own means. You considered His blessings to be the main product. You will realize that your devotion to God is based on the work of His hands and not on Him. Search your heart today. Why do you serve God? Is it because you need Him to serve your means? There were plenty of people around Jesus when He was alive and doing miracles, but there was only one at His tomb when He was dead and doing nothing.

Let us look at God’s response to the complaint. “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel” Exodus 17: 5-6. God provides water for them, not at Rephidim, but at Horeb, where God stood. In other words, the Israelites had to travel from the “place they thirsted” to the “place where God was.”

The journey from Rephidim to Horeb is one every believer has to take. Sooner or later God will engineer circumstances in your life that will make you realize that you have not been seeking His face, but the work of His hands. Once this revelation comes, be humble enough to take the journey from Rephidim to Horeb.

The word Rephidim means “support”. The word Horeb means “desolate”, “parched”, “dry” etc. The Israelites questioned God’s capability on whether He could give them water at the place of “support.” God’s response to the complaint was to lead them to the “parched, dry, desolate” place and made water gush from it to quench their thirst. You could call this a mighty display of God’s power. You could call it the magnificent provision of God. However, I must add God has a tremendous sense of humour!

How much did those spices cost?

Click here to read Mark 15:42-16:7

“…bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body…” Mark 15:1

All of us love to serve God and want to be used by God. At times we make plans on how exactly we are going to serve God because we sense a need in the body of Christ. Over the years, I have also “sensed” a “need” and made appropriate plans only to find out that my view of the “need” was not really a need. Maybe you are making plans to serve God in some particular because you see a “need” in the body of Christ. What if you were to find out later on that those plans availed nothing? It can be quite disappointing.

We read of one such instance in the bible. Mark 15: 47 says, “Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where He was laid.” Two women saw where the body of Christ was laid for burial. The Amplified Bible puts it this way: “they were attentively observing where He was laid.” The next verse, Mark 16:1 says, “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.” A few women attentively observed where the body of Christ was laid, and they “sensed” that there was a “need” to anoint the body of Christ. So after Sabbath was over, they bought spices and came to execute their “service” based on their understanding of the “need.”

When they came to the tomb, they found out that Jesus had risen from the dead and He wasn’t there! What were they going to do with all those spices they bought? I wonder how much it cost them to buy those spices. I wonder who took the trouble of carrying those spices all the way to the tomb. Maybe they shared the load. They had bought the spices on the previous day, so the spices had to be stored overnight at someone’s house. Let us suppose it was at Salome’s house. I wonder if anyone at home would have asked her what she intended to do with those spices. I am sure she would have told them about the “service” she and her friends were going to do the next day. I wonder if they had discussed between them on how they were going to anoint his body. “You do the hands, I’ll do the legs.” Maybe. Maybe not. Anyway, what’s the use? At least if Jesus had been there they could have showed Him the spices to let Him know how much they loved Him. What a waste. A waste of time. A waste of money. A waste of…

A few days earlier a sinful woman in the house of Simon the leper had broke open an alabaster jar full of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus. In response to this act, Jesus says in Mark 14:8: “She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.” Note the word “beforehand” The need of the body of Christ to be anointed for burial was already taken care of “beforehand!” Well you would say, if only those 3 women knew! It is not fair! It is out of their love for Jesus that they planned all this. Now all those plans have gone down the drain! How sad!

I have been there many times and the disappointment hardly lasts long. Why do I say that? Because they received a revelation of Christ that no one else had. Nobody else knew that Jesus had risen from the dead! These 3 were the first ones to receive that revelation. Not only that, they were also entrusted with preaching the news of the resurrection to the Apostles of the New Testament church! Can you imagine that? Mark 16: 7 “But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'” WOW! The service they had planned to do was to anoint the body. However, an angel from heaven ordained them to the service of preaching the news of the resurrection to Peter & Co. Who cares about the spices now? :) A new revelation! A new ministry!

Sometimes the reason our eyes see a version of the “need” is so that we will get to the place where we can be entrusted with a greater ministry. If those three women did not act upon their “sense” of the “need,” they would have never got to the tomb. i.e. the place where they received a new revelation and a new commission. Never be disappointed when plans regarding service go wrong. It is often the place where a new revelation is born and a new commission is given. Never sulk about the price you paid for the spices. How much did those spices cost? I don’t know. But I do know the resurrection gospel is far more precious than that.

Having said all this, I get reminded of the story of a little boy whose name was David. His plan of service was to go and give food to his brothers. He found his brothers weren’t where they were supposed to be. His plans went wrong. He wasn’t disappointed though. He continued to search for his brothers and eventually found them. It turned out that his brothers were angry with him for being there. How rude! David had taken the trouble to come all the way there to give them food. However he did meet a man THERE called Goliath. The rest, as they say, is history.

The decision to return

Click here to read Luke 17:11-19

Luke 17:15 "...he returned..."

If you have been a Christian for some time and have attended church frequently, I am sure you have sat through sessions of praise or praise & worship or singing or however you want to call it. You would have heard about clapping and praising God. You would have heard about dancing and praising God. You would have heard about singing and praising God. You would have heard about jumping and praising God. You would have heard about praising God with instruments, praising God with shouts of joy. Falling prostrate and praising God. Praising God in tounges, praising God with your tithes. I could go on and on and I am sure you could add to this list as well. However, there is one way of praising God that I have seldom heard: “return and praise God”

Mark 17:15,16 says, “Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus feet and thanked him.” I want you to notice 3 of his outward actions:

1. He turned back

2. He praised God with a loud voice

3. He prostrated himself at Jesus feet and thanked him.

I want you to notice the response of Jesus in verse 18: “Was none of them found to return and give praise to God…” Jesus leaves out the “loud voice”. Jesus also leaves out the “prostration.” I would have liked it if Jesus had said. “Was none of them found to return and praise God with a loud voice by prostrating himself…” But that is not what Jesus said. Jesus conveniently leaves out the fact that the praise and thanksgiving to God was demonstrated using “a loud voice” and “prostration.” However, he does make mention of the fact that it was done after “returning”

It tells me that the manner of praising God is not as important as the decision to praise God. But for me to make a decision to praise God, I have to “return.” Although this does sound trivial, it isn’t. Allow me to illustrate: If I decide to take a casual walk down town and I realize that I have to return home for some reason or the other, the decision is an easy one to make. However if I decide to go to a concert and I realize that I have to return home for some reason or the other, the decision will not be as easy. If I am on my way to a very important meeting at work and I realize that I have to return home for some reason or the other, the decision will be harder still. If I am on my way to a doctor’s appointment for a very crucial health diagnosis, the decision to “return” will be extremely difficult. The decision to “return” is made easy or difficult depending on the degree of affinity and importance of the “subject” at the other end.

If the leper’s decision were to only “return” from a casual walk, it would have been an easy one. However the leper had to decide to “return” by sacrificing his visit to the priest. Jesus had told him to go show himself to the priest. Once he had realized he had been healed, he “returned.” In those days, only the priest had the authority to pronounce a leper “clean.” Jesus wasn’t one of the official priests that had the “right” to pronounce a leper clean. The process of pronouncing a leper clean and the “purification” process thereafter are so detailed and complex that the book of Leviticus has 116 verses dedicated to it: i.e. the whole chapter of 13 and 14.

In short, he turned down human approval to “return” and praise God. One of the most challenging things for me as a Christian has been to make that decision. The challenge of turning down human approval for what Christ has done for me and in me. That is why praise is described as a sacrifice in Hebrews 13:15: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.” To sacrifice the certificate of a priest which officially makes you “acceptable” in the society again and “return” to praise God! WOW! I wonder if I could have done that. If you and I can, the delight it will bring to the heart of God is unspeakable.

Jesus says, “…Was none of them found to return…” Notice the word “found.” You could only use the word “found” if you have been searching. I wonder if Jesus is still searching for that today: For us to sacrifice human approval of God’s work in us, and then “return” to praise God. Search your heart today. How often do you sacrifice human approval and make a decision to praise God for what he has done? It is a daily struggle for me. “… bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.” Psalms 118:27

Chemistry was one of the subjects I took in school. No matter how many people tell me I’m good in Chemistry, it wouldn’t mean as much as hearing it from my Chemistry teacher. My friends could tell me I’m brilliant in Chemistry. However if my teacher tells me that, it would give me joy unspeakable. Hence, I acknowledge that he/she is the source of my knowledge in Chemistry. One of the best definitions of praise I have come across is in Psalms 87:7 “As they make music they will sing, "All my fountains are in you." The keyword there of course is “ALL”

Knowing God through the unknown mountain

Click here to read Genesis 22:1-18

"...I shall show you..." Genesis 22: 2

One fine day, God tells Abraham: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you. (Genesis 22: 2) I want you to notice the last part of that verse. It says Abraham was to offer Isaac as a burnt offering on “one of the mountains” that God “will show” him. God does not tell him which mountain. God does not tell him the name of the mountain. He just says it is “one of the mountains” in the land of Moriah. God does not tell him the size of the mountain. God does not tell him the location in Moriah where the mountain is situated. All God says about the mountain is “ I will show you” where it is.

Often when we receive a call from God; a call to obey in some particular, a call to serve, a call to worship, a call to let go etc, the vision may not be all that clear at first. There are things that God may leave untouched and unaddressed. Whenever the call of God comes, our natural instinct is to react and tell Him that He should be clearer about the call. You wish He would tell you exactly “which mountain.” Many times although we feel a tugging at our hearts to obey the call of God in some particular, we often delay it for the lack of “detail.” Although you know you have to obey, it does not make sense to obey because God has not shown you which “mountain”

So the last part of verse 2 says, “…offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” Verse 3 says “So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him”. Hold on right there! Verse 2 says that God “shall show” him the mountain. Verse 3 says Abraham set out to the place God “had shown him” So when did the “showing” actually happen?? Well it must have happened before he set out from home because it says Abraham “…set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him” How did Abraham know which mountain??

One of the greatest privileges a Christian has is to know God – to know Him, to know His ways. For us to fulfill any vision or call God gives us, we need a revelation of Him and His ways in order to fulfill it. Concerning the ministry of Moses, Psalms 103:7 says, “He made known His ways to Moses…” Once you come into a relationship with God, your greatest priority should be that you might know Him. Paul considered this top priority: “…whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul was willing to consider all things in life “rubbish” when compared to the value of knowing Jesus.

So between Genesis 22:2 (…I shall show you…) and Genesis 22:3(…God had shown him…), the revelation of God comes to Abraham. He heard the call of God, he made up his mind to obey, he went to bed that night, he rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. We do not know the exact time as to when the revelation came. But we do know it came at a time when Abraham decided to obey and consequently acted on it. We can never tell when the revelation of God will come through. We can never tell when God will reveal His word to us. We can never tell when He will chose to “make known His ways” to us. But we can make up our mind to obey and the revelation is sure to come.

The key to all revelation of God, the key to knowing Him, the key to understanding His ways, the key to comprehending His Word, is by obedience alone and nothing else. There is no short cut to it and there is no way you can buy it. John the disciple in his first letter best describes it: “Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments.” (1 John 2:3) Think about that! There is only one sure way to know that you know Him. i.e. if you obey Him.

Why is it so important to know Him, to know His ways, to know His word? The Bible says in Genesis 22: 9 “When they came to the place that God had shown him…” In other words, when he obeyed the call of God to go the mountain God had “shown him”, he put Isaac on the altar and was ready to kill him. Then Abraham heard from heaven again “Abraham, Abraham…” The more you walk in obedience to the revelation God gives you, the more God will reveal Himself to you. Abraham looks up and sees a ram caught in the thickets and sacrifices it. Abraham named that place “Jehovah Jireh”!! Genesis 22:14: “So Abraham called that place, “Jehovah Jireh” (The Lord will provide), as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided”

Think of that for a moment! As it is said to this day!! Even to this day! On the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided! If Abraham had never obeyed the call of God, he would have never got to this mountain. He would have never had a revelation of Jehovah as “Jehovah Jireh”. That is why it is important to know Him through obedience. If you are obedient to Him, you will know Him. If you know Him, he will reveal Himself as your provider. One principle every Christian should learn by heart is 2 Peter 1:3 “His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” Everything needed for life! For life!!! Everything needed for godliness!! Everything!!! How?? Through the knowledge of Him!!! Everything, everything we need for life comes through the knowledge of Him. It is up to you to decide how important it is to make “knowing Him” your first priority in life.

Only a man, who obeys God, can know Him through revelation and only a man, who knows Him, can continue obeying Him. And through the knowledge of Him, everything for life and godliness is yours by His divine power. It says Abraham worshiped on that mountain. This is what true worship is all about. “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”(John 17:3) This is what eternal life is all about. Make the decision to go to the mountain unknown; you never know what God will reveal to you there.

Amazing Faith – A detailed study

Click here to read Matthew 8:5-13

"...He was amazed..." Matthew 8:10

There are many things that amaze me and when I searched through the gospels I found out that Jesus amazed people in general. I found out people in the countryside were amazed, the people in the synagogues were amazed, the disciples were amazed, the Pharisees and Sadducees were amazed, Pilate was amazed, etc. They were amazed by His teaching; they were amazed at His authority; the miracles He performed were amazing and so on and so forth.

However, when I ran a search on the things that amazed Jesus, I came across only two such occurrences:

1. He was amazed at the Centurion’s faith (Luke 7:9, Matthew 8:10)

2. He was amazed at unbelief of the people in His hometown (Mark 6:6)

It caught my attention that the two things as per my search that amazed Jesus were:

1. Faith

2. The lack of faith.

There are many incidents in the gospels where people have expressed their faith in Jesus which resulted in a miracle. Jesus even commended a woman once and said her “faith was great”, but there is only this one time where it says Jesus was “amazed” at someone’s faith. And so I decided to do a study on the faith that amazed Jesus. Before we start studying about the centurion’s faith, I’d like you to understand a statement Jesus made about faith.

The Bible says in Matthew 17:20, “…For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” I want you to carefully notice the structure of the sentence above. It DOES NOT say “…if you have faith the size of a mustard seed AND you say to this mountain…”It says “…if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you WILL say to this mountain…” So Jesus is NOT saying that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed and you couple it along with speaking to the mountain, it will move. What He is saying is that if you do have faith the size of a mustard seed, speaking to the mountain will be an impulsive reaction born out of that faith. It is like saying if you are thirsty, you will want a drink. Or, if you have some sickness in your body, you will feel uneasy. So, I want to lay a principle here before we study the “amazing” faith the centurion had: You can tell a lot about a man’s faith by his words. Hence by studying the words of the centurion, we can study his faith.

The centurion had a servant who was almost dying and he reports this to Jesus. Jesus offers to come to his house to cure the servant. If I were him, I’d be the happiest person on earth to have Jesus visit my “situation” to solve it. However, the centurion replies: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”

Observation #1

If you read about any other miracle that occurred as a result of someone’s faith, you find that the person’s faith rested on what Jesus could do for them. Jesus says, “I’ll come and heal him” If I were to paraphrase the centurion’s reply it would be something like this: “That wouldn’t be necessary, I know who you are. I’m an officer and I get things done by telling the soldiers under me. You could do the same” His faith was not based on what Jesus could do for him, but on Who Jesus was.

Observation # 2

The centurion says, “…I am also a man set under authority…” I want you to take note of two key words in that phrase; i.e. “also” and “under” In the Indian Navy, the officer ranks are as follows, in decreasing order of authority: Admiral, Vice Admiral, Rear Admiral, Commodore, Captain, Commander, Lieutenant Commander, Lieutenant, etc. If you know who you are under, you will know who is under you. For example, if you know you are under the Rear Admiral, i.e. you are the Commodore; you will know the Captain and those below him are under you. The centurion thus acknowledges that the “situation” he is facing is “under” Jesus and hence Jesus has authority over it. His faith was based on the knowledge of the authority of Jesus.

Observation # 3

When the centurion tells one of the soldiers under him “Go”, the soldier goes. This reveals that soldier understands the language of the centurion. India is a country of many languages, and unfortunately (or fortunately) I only understand two of the many. One of the languages I do not understand is Hindi. Now if I get pulled over by a cop who speaks Hindi, I may know who he is (observation #1) and I may acknowledge his authority (observation #2) but if he gives me an instruction in Hindi, I will not comprehend it. Hence the centurion acknowledges that Jesus speaks the “language” of the “situation.” His faith was based on the fact that the “situation” can comprehend what Jesus commands it.

Observation # 4

When the centurion tells one of the soldiers, “Go” or “Come” or “Do this”, the soldier does so. This implies that the soldier is not only capable of comprehending the language of the centurion, but also capable of accomplishing the task given. For example the centurion tells a soldier “Go get that file for me”. If the soldier doesn’t have arms, can he accomplish the given task? No. The centurion says “Go over there”. If the soldier cannot walk, can he go? No. So when the centurion gives a command, he knows the soldier under him is capable of executing his orders. His faith was based on the fact that the “situation” can not only comprehend what Jesus commands it, but is also capable of executing His orders.

Observation # 5

When the centurion gives a command to a soldier below him, does he

a) Doubt the soldier will do it? NO

b) Hope the soldier will do it? NO

c) Believe the soldier will do it? NO

Then?

d) Knows the soldier will do it!:)

There’s a difference between knowing and believing. You see, I believe man has walked on the moon, but I know I haven’t. I don’t believe the fact that “I haven’t walked on the moon”. I know for a fact that “I haven’t walked on the moon” He was as confident of Jesus fixing his “situation” as giving an order to a soldier below him. His faith was based not on what he believed Jesus would do, but on what he knew Jesus would do.

Observation # 6

The centurion says “…speak the word and let my servant be healed…” It was not a request, nor was it a plea, it was a statement. It was almost a command. Was the centurion being rude? No. The centurion even addresses Jesus as Lord. He could have said, “Could you please speak the word...” or “I request you to speak the word…” When I approach a higher authority to meet a need of mine, I usually request. I do not demand. Here we see no request, no plea, no begging. If I were to paraphrase it, the centurion tells Jesus, “don’t trouble yourself by coming home, just do it!” Why is that so? The centurion compared this situation, to him commanding a soldier under him, to execute a need of the centurion and not the need of a soldier. If I approach my boss with a possible solution to my problem, I request. On the other hand, if I approach him with a possible solution to one of his problems, I don’t. In other words, the centurion is telling Jesus “this is how you can solve YOUR problem” His faith was based on the knowledge that Jesus was infinitely more responsible to solve his “situation” that he himself.

Observation # 7

The centurion says, “… if I say to my slave” The keyword here is “my”. He doesn’t say “any” slave, but he says “my” slave. He compares the situation that he is in to him commanding “his own” slave. In other words, he considered the “situation” as something Jesus had personal interest in. His faith was based on the knowledge that Jesus was infinitely more interested and willing to solve his “situation” than he himself.

• His faith was not based on what Jesus could do for him, but on the knowledge of Who Jesus was.

• His faith was based on the knowledge of the authority of Jesus.

• His faith was based on the fact that the “situation” can comprehend what Jesus commands it.

• His faith was based on the fact that the “situation” can not only comprehend what Jesus commands it, but is also capable of executing His orders.

• His faith was based not on what he believed Jesus would do, but on what he knew Jesus would do.

• His faith was based on the knowledge that Jesus was infinitely more responsible to solve his “situation” that he himself.

• His faith was based on the knowledge that Jesus was infinitely more interested and willing to solve his “situation” than he himself.

NO WONDER JESUS WAS AMAZED!!!

I plan on writing practical applications and practices to the 7 observations above. However, I will post a separate one on that as I do not wanted to lengthen this particular article further.

A glória do vendo

Clique aqui para ler Mateus 14:22-33

Mateus 14:31 “… Homem de pouca fé, por que duvidaste?”

Nesta passagem da escritura nós vemos Jesus comandando os discípulos para entrar no barco para passar para o “outro lado” do mar. (Mateus 14:22) Isto era o objetivo de destinação – o outro lado. Quando eles estavam indo para o barco, eles muitas experiências de difíceis circunstâncias. Um vento bem forte começou a soprar contra eles. Os evangelhos nos lembram que eles ficaram muito tensos com os remos tentando manobrar o barco para “o outro lado” toda noite. De manhãzinha Jesus veio andando sobre o mar (Mateus 14:25). Os discípulos estavam assombrados. “Jesus, porém, imediatamente lhes falou, dizendo:” Tende ânimo; sou eu; não temais.”” (Mateus 14:27) Depois de escutar tudo isso, a bíblia em Mateus 14:28 diz que, “Respondeu-lhe Pedro:” Senhor! Se fores tu, manda-me ir ter contigo sobre as águas.”“

Pense sobre declaração por um momento. Respondeu-lhe Pedro?? Respondeu-lhe Pedro?? Qual pergunta estava ele respondendo? Jesus não havia feito nenhuma pergunta à ele. Eu gostaria mais se a bíblia tivesse escrito “Pedro afirmou” ou “Pedro pediu” porque isso faria mais sentido gramatical, mas a bíblia não foi escrita para satisfazer meus favores. Certamente existem versões que usam a frase “Peter pediu”. A raiz da palavra que implica “Pedro respondeu” na verdade é, o quê ele estava respondendo?

Nós encontramos no versículo anterior que Jesus se revela a eles: “... Sou Eu ...” Todas as revelações de quem Cristo é para nós é também um convite para nós andarmos como Jesus andou. Pedro estava respondendo este convite. Pedro estava dando sua resposta para aquele convite. “Mas, quando aprouve a Deus, que desde o ventre de minha mãe me separou, e me chamou pela sua graça, revelar seu Filho em mim, para que eu o pregasse entre os gentios ...” (Gálatas 1:15,16ª) Pense primeiramente na verdade do evangelho foi revelada para você. Você realmente necessitava de um convite? Não. Você somente sabia que o convite estava ali. Quando Cristo revelou a salvação dele para você teria respondido, “Senhor! Se fores tu, manda-me ir ter contigo.” E a resposta será sempre “vem”.

Disse-lhe ele: Vem. Pedro, descendo do barco, e andando sobre as águas, foi ao encontro de Jesus. Mas, sentindo o vento, teve medo; e, começando a afundar, clamou: Senhor, salva-me. Imediatamente estendeu Jesus a mão, segurou-o, e disse-lhe: Homem de pouca fé, por que duvidaste? (Mateus 14: 29:31) Aqui podemos ver quatro coisas que se passaram com Pedro: 1ª. Ele sentiu o vento. 2ª. Ele teve medo. 3ª Começou a afundar. 4ª Clamour por Socorro. Todavia a resposta de Jesus não foi nenhumas das seguintes: 1ª. Você de pequeno foco, porque você sentiu o vento? 2ª. ” Você de pouca coragem, porque teve medo?” 3ª.” Você com pouca perseverança, por que você afundou?” 4ª. Você de pouca firmeza, porque entraste em pânico? A resposta de Jesus foi “Homem de pouca fé, porque duvidaste?” Isso indica que as quatro coisas que aconteceram com Pedro aconteceram porque ele duvidou e ele tinha pouca fé. Isso por causa da falta de fé foi que ele sentiu o vento, ficando com medo, começou a afundar e gritava com medo.

Pense por um momento pelo que Pedro passou. Ele sentiu o vendo. O que o vento tem a ver com caminhar sobre as águas? Pela simples ciência, como eu sei, qualquer coisa que é densa como a água irá afundar ou vice versa. O vento não tem nada a ver com que qualquer coisa afunde ou flutue. Eu poderia tentar caminhar sobre as águas exatamente agora e estou seguro que afundaria. – apesar de haver vento soprando ou não! Assim, porque será que Pedro teve um sentir especial sobre o vento que o deixou com tanto medo? Apesar do vento não ter nada a ver com o Pedro caminhando sobre as águas, o vento foi a principal causa do fracasso anterior. Foi por causa do vento que eles não puderam remar o barco a terra. Existem vários “ventos” que nós como crentes notamos. O vendo do fracasso, o vendo da dor, o vento da oposição, o vento da rejeição e assim por diante. Estão “ventos” de ontem que causando fracasso a você e depressão causando medo para você caminhar hoje?

“... mas uma coisa faço, e é que, esquecendo-me das coisas que atrás ficam, e avançando para as que estão adiante ...” Não deixe que os fatores que causam fracasso e dificuldade de ontem tornarem seu foco. Você não consegue caminhar o seu caminho focalizando nos ventos de ontem. Se você assim o fizer, você ficará com medo, você afundará e você entrará em pânico. Bom, o que foi que Pedro realmente duvidou? Ele duvidou que os ventos de ontem pudessem afetar o caminhar de hoje. Observe que os discípulos estavam com medo no barco. (versículo 26) Daí então Jesus veio e disse não temas. (versículo 27) No versículo 30 diz que ele teve medo de novo. Permaneça com uma visão constante sobre sua vida para não deixar o medo de ontem rastejes-se no projeto de hoje. “... Torno a trazer isso ã mente, portanto tenho esperança. A benignidade do Senhor jamais acaba, as suas misericórdias não têm fim; renovam-se cada manhã. Grande é a tua fidelidade. A minha porção é o Senhor, diz a minha alma; portanto esperarei nele. Bom é o Senhor para os que esperam por ele, para a alma que o busca. Bom é ter esperança, e aguardar em silêncio a salvação do Senhor.” (Lamentações 3:21-26)

Lembre-se que a compaixão do Senhor se renova a cada dia, e não depende dos ventos de ontem. Para finalizar, versículo 24 diz “Entrementes, o barco já estava a muitos estádios da terra, açoitado pelas ondas; porque o vento era contrário.” Não especifica qual “terra”. Se era a terra de onde eles haviam partido ou se a terra a qual eles estavam indo. Existem dois caminhos para ver este versículo. Uma maneira é dizer que o barco estará longe da destinação deles; longe do “outro” lado. Outra maneira de dizer é que o barco estava longe de onde eles haviam partido. Eu não estarei a onde eu suponho estar. Não é impressionante que apesar do vento estar contra o barco, mesmo assim o barco desviou longe de onde eles haviam partido? “Vós, na verdade, intentastes o mal contra mim; Deus, porém, o intentou para o bem, para fazer o que se vê neste dia, isto é, conservar muita gente com vida.” (Gênesis 50:20) Dê glórias a Deus por todo vento que venha em seu caminho.

Há tanta coisa que eu vejo agora
Que fui muitas vezes cedo
Quanto mais eu conheço d’Ele
Quanto menos eu tento fazer

Seu trabalhar em mim não depende
do meu fracasso, pecado ou dor
Não em não crer que uma mancha
irá limpar todo minha sujeira

Quando eu sinto sua face e sua voz
Em maneiras que não se sabe
Fé n’Ele irá permanecer minha postura
e dúvida simplesmente se foi

n’Ele minha confiança irá descançar
Apesar que com os meus olhos eu não vejo
Mas eu sei que Ele sabe melhor
Estou agradecido que Seu amor me encontrou

The repeated lesson

Click here to read 2 Kings 4:42 - 44

“So he repeated…” (2 Kings 4:43)

There are many lessons that God teaches me – but some lessons can be really humiliating because I’ve learnt them before and yet I’ve failed to apply them. These lessons often pertain to the service I render unto God. We all at some point in time or the other have prayed that God would use us. It feels good when we sense that God is using us. However it is at times like these that I have often received the harshest rebukes from God, because my views about service to God tend to go a little out of focus.

In this passage of scripture, we read about a man from Baal-shalishah bringing food from the first fruits to Elisha. Now, Elisha was at a place called Gilgal and there was a famine there. This man whose name we do not know, brought twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain. Now this is ample food for one person but not enough for a hundred, which was the number of people that was present there at that time. “Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.” But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” (2 Kings 4:42, 43) Notice that it was not the man who brought food that said this. It was Elisha’s servant who did.

We are also servants of a Master and He often tells us things to do, that in our estimate, may seem absurd and insignificant. “So he repeated…” (2 Kings 4:43) When it comes to serving God, this is one lesson I believe the Master often repeats and emphasizes. So what is the repeated lesson? Read on… Most miracles in the Bible have a brief description about it. For example from the New Testament: “He took the five loaves, broke it and distributed…” or “He said “Lazarus, come out!...” or “He made mud out of saliva and put it on his eyes…”; from the Old Testament: “He told Naaman to go and wash in the Jordan seven times…” or “When their feet touched the waters, the Jordan was cut off…” or “God said “Let there be light” and there was light…” etc.

This particular miracle however has no explanation to it whatsoever. We do not know whether the loaves where multiplied. We do not know whether the loaves were broken. We do not know if the loaves were prayed over. How did all of them eat and yet there was food left? We do not know if the hundred people lost their appetites. We don’t even know what they ate. Why do I say that? - Because the man who came with the food brought both barley loaves and fresh ears of grain. Now the barley loaves can be eaten, but the fresh ears of grain obviously cannot unless they are cooked. Elisha says, “Give it to the people…” “it”? What’s “it”? He could have said “Give the loaves to the people…” But the Holy Spirit, under whose inspiration the Scriptures are written, did not choose to write it that way. The servant says “How can I set this before a hundred…” “this”? What’s “this”? He could have said “How can I set these loaves before a hundred…” but that’s not how it is written. So Elisha repeated “Give it to the people…” “it”? What’s “it”? Is the master talking about the loaves? Or is he talking about the fresh ears of grain? I hope not! Or is he talking about both? I have no clue!

The repeated statement: “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” Our understanding of ministry needs and the ways to meet them are sometimes very different from the Lord’s. According to the servant, the food was not enough to feed a hundred. According to the Master, the issue is not whether there is enough food or not. His concern is that the servant obeys the spoken Word. How often have we neglected obedience in private and given importance to service in public? Beware of measuring your walk with God according to your “usefulness” to Him in public. How much of a use you are to God does not depend on how much or little you work for Him, but on your degree of obedience to Him. The work you do for Him, should be an impulsive outpouring that comes from a life of obedience in private.

Look at what Philippians chapter 2 says in verse 7 and 8 about Jesus “…He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human form, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” These verses talk about His birth, and they talk about His death – but everything that happened in-between His birth and death is summed up in one phrase “obedient up to the point of death”. All the healing, all the preaching, all that He did from His birth to His death is summed up in that one phrase – “from the time he was born, till he died, he was obedient”. Think of that for a moment!

The first time Jesus revealed His glory caused His disciples to believe in Him. (John 2:11). This happened at the wedding at Cana. What caused the glory of Jesus to be revealed which in-turn caused the Apostles of the New Testament church to believe in Him? - Few servants who obeyed the Master in filling jugs with water. Did the servants have any clue that their obedience in private would cause the glory of Christ to be revealed? No. Did they know that their obedience in private would result in Peter, John & Co. to believe in Christ? No. Did any of us exist when Christ lived on earth and lived a life of obedience? No – But what He did back then causes lives to be transformed even today.

When we are so caught up in serving God, He often has to speak to us and say, “Martha, Martha…” Maybe you have a desire for God to use you and He has been dealing with areas in your life that requires obedience. You might say to yourself, “Oh well, that is really absurd and insignificant.” “Do I really have to do that?” Whenever there is an inner debate, stop. Proceed with the matter of obeying God no matter how insignificant it may seem. A person who constantly lives life this way really has no idea how much he or she is being used by God.

Setting “it” before a hundred people according to the servant made no sense to him – but when the servant obeyed the Master, it turned out to be a blessing to many. So what is the repeated lesson? It is the lesson of realizing that your usefulness to the Master depends on your obedience in private. It is the lesson of trusting the Master’s sense of service and not your own. It is the lesson of the Master compelling His servant to obey the spoken Word. “So Elisha repeated…”

“When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.”

A man with a stick

There is a man I know about and his life is a pretty interesting story. I guess he always had his way and very few people would dare oppose him because his foster dad was a real big shot in the country. He lived in a huge house and had every comfort he could ask for. One fine day he did something that landed him in a huge mess. His dad was really mad at him. It was so bad that he decided to run away from home and so he did. The poor guy no longer indulged in the luxury he once had at home. Nevertheless, he settled down in a place far away from home. One day he was hanging around town when he saw a bunch of girls stopping by for a drink. He noticed a few guys trying to bully them. Well he could have just ignored all of it and gone his way - instead he jumped to their rescue and chased those bullies away. The girls happened to be siblings and were obviously pretty impressed by his chivalry. They went home and told their dad about this man who had made their day. Well their father was impressed by what he heard and so he had him come over for a meal. He really fit in well with the family and he began living with them. After a while, he married one of the sisters and even had a son with her. He even started looking after their family business.

This man’s name is Moses and you can read this story in Exodus chapter 2. The mess he got himself into was that he had killed an Egyptian one day. “When he went out the next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting; and he said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow Hebrew?” He answered, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh...” (Exodus 2: 13-15)

We all make mistakes in life. Although we do not fear the mistakes themselves, we do fear the consequences those mistakes have brought about. Moses was not afraid he had killed someone, he was afraid of its consequences. The mistake he had made:

1. Caused him to lose his authority over his own fellow Hebrew.
2. Terrified him when he learned that everyone now knew of his mistake.
3. Caused him to flee Egypt even though he was the Prince of Egypt.
4. Caused him to fear Pharaoh because Pharaoh was bent on killing him.

It was because of all of the above reasons that Moses fled to Midian. It was because he fled to Midian that he sat down by a well there. It was because he sat there that he saw the daughters of Jethro, the priest of Midian. It was because he stood up for what was right on that day, that he was called for a meal. It was because of that meal that he got to know the family and started living with them. It was because he lived with them, that he got married to Zipporah. It was because he settled well with them that he was given custody of Jethro’s sheep. It was because he had to take care of his father-in-law’s sheep that he needed a stick or staff or rod.

And it was this stick that became a snake when it was thrown down. It was this snake that swallowed up the other snakes in Pharaoh’s court. It was this stick which struck the Nile and turned it into blood. It was this stick that brought frogs up on the land of Egypt. It was this stick that struck the ground and produced gnats. It was this stick that was stretched to heaven and thunder, hail and lightning flashed. It was this stick that brought the wind that produced the locusts. It was this stick that struck the Red Sea and parted it. It was this stick which Moses held up with the help of Aaron and Hur from morning till sun set and Joshua defeated the Amalekites that day. It was this stick that was referred to as the "staff of God" (Exodus 4:20) All this occurred because it so happened that Moses made a mistake and ran for his life from Egypt.

When I think of the goodness and wisdom of the King of Kings ... who chooses to use the consequences of my fears and mistakes... as a platform to give me opportunities to equip me with a tool or an anointing (stick).... to help me in my mission for life and thus reach my destiny... it blows my mind. “O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.” (Psalms 139:1-6)

Are you feeling down today because you no longer live in Pharaoh’s palace because of something stupid you did? Are you living in fear of the consequences of the mistakes you have made? Are you feeling dejected that once you were the Prince of Egypt, but now all you do is keep sheep? Are you feeling devastated because people around you have come to know about your mistakes? Are you tellingyour self today, “I have failed in life”? If so, I have news for you: “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

God reverted every consequence of his mistake:

1. He had lost authority over one fellow Hebrew, but he gained authority over a nation of Hebrews.
2. He was devastated because everyone had come to know his mistakes, but Moses became “a man of great importance in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s officials and in the sight of the people”(Exodus 11: 3)
3. He fled Egypt but God sent him back to “perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that God put in his power” (Exodus 4:21)
4. He feared Pharaoh but God “made him like God to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7: 1)

Looking after sheep using a stick might not sound very exciting compared to being a prince - but while he was leading those sheep, he “came to Horeb, the mountain of God”. The rest is history. Deuteronomy 33:10-12 says, “Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of Israel.”

Moses grabbed that one opportunity of standing up for the daughters of Jethro, and that is how he became a flock caretaker, and that is how he got his stick. Moses lost out on a lot because of his mistake but he gained a stick. God used that to fulfill his destiny. Are you lost somewhere out there with a stick, tending to sheep and saying to yourself, “if at all I hadn't made that one stupid mistake!” Do not be disheartened - if His eye is on the sparrow, His eye is on you too.

I mentioned this before, but I'll mention it again: When I think of the goodness and wisdom of God ...who chooses to use the consequences of my fears and mistakes... as a platform to give me opportunities to equip me with a tool or an anointing (stick).... to help me in my mission for life and thus reach my destiny... it blows my mind. To God be the glory!

The mathematics of loaves & baskets

Click here to read Matthew 16:5-12

Mark 16:9 “…do you not remember? …” Jesus broke 5 loaves of bread and with it fed 5000 men - the disciples collected 12 baskets full of broken pieces thereafter. Another time he broke 7 loaves of bread and with it fed 4000 men and the disciples collected 7 baskets. Logically or arithmetically speaking if 5 loaves fed 5000, 7 loaves should be enough bread for 7000 (or to feed 4000, 4 loaves should do). Similarly, if 5 loaves produced 12 extra baskets of broken bread, 7 loaves should be enough bread to gather 16.8 extra baskets. However the principles of God are different from the principles of arithmetic. So how do we understand this logic then?

Now the disciples were witnesses to both these miracles but they were really slow in picking up an important lesson Jesus wanted them to learn through this. One day when Jesus and his disciples had just crossed over to one side of the Sea of Galilee, the disciples realized that they had brought no bread with them. This story is illustrated twice in the gospels – in Matthew 16:5-12 and in Mark 8:14-21. After the disciples realized that they had not brought any bread with them, Jesus said to them “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” (Mathew 16:6). When the disciples heard this, they thought Jesus was saying this because they did not bring any bread along with them. “They said to one another, “It is because we have brought no bread.””(Matthew 16:7)

Jesus became aware of this and says to them “You of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets you gathered? How could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” (Matthew 16:8-11) Mark accounts it this way: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” And they said to him, “Seven” Then He said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” (Mark 8:17-21)

Now if we recall the two miracles, i.e. the feeding of the five thousand, and the feeding of the four thousand, there are many things that may come to one’s mind. However of all things that happened, Jesus asks them if they remember the following statistics:

People	Loaves	Baskets
5000	5	12
4000	7	7

Now, if I were to add one more figure under the “People” column, say 3000, will you be able to formulate a mathematical equation to come up with the right digits to fill in under “Loaves” and “Baskets”? Why was it that Jesus considered it very important that the disciples remember the number of baskets and number of loaves and the number of people? And what does any of that have to do with faith? “You of little faith…” Doesn’t that have to do with your memory? Jesus should have rebuked them saying, “You of little memory…” And what do loaves and baskets have to do with the yeast of Pharisees and Sadducees?

Let me answer those questions for you. What God can do for you and through you and in you do not depend on how much you have or how little you have. It does not depend on how big you are or how small you are. Rather, it depends on your faith in God. Jesus fed 5000 with 5 loaves, with 12 baskets remaining, to prove that God’s power does not depend on how little you have. However on another occasion, when he had to feed 4000, he used 7 loaves and had only 7 baskets remaining. He did this to prove that God’s power does not depend on how much you have. Just because they had more loaves and less people to eat it, it did not mean they could gather more baskets. What God can do for you depends on whether you give him what you have and not on the size of what you have. In both the miracles, Jesus asks them this question: What do you have? On one occasion they had 5 loaves, on another they had 7 loaves. Whatever they had, they gave it to Jesus and he worked a miracle. Are you feeling inferior because you only have 5 loaves and the people around you have 7? Give your 5 to Jesus. He fed a larger crowd with 5 than with 7. They gathered more baskets with 5 than with 7. Do you have a feeling of self-righteousness and pride because you have 7 loaves and others have 5? Do not be fooled – He fed a larger crowd with 5 and they gathered more baskets with 5.

That is why Jesus rebukes them for their little faith. When the disciples realized they had no bread, Jesus said, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They thought Jesus said that because they had no bread. Jesus replies, “You of little faith…do you not remember…” In effect, Jesus was saying that His power does not depend on what you do have or what you don’t have. It depends on whether you have faith or not. The disciples then realized that he wasn’t talking about bread, but about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. What was common to both these groups of people? They believed the way to please God was to obey laws and traditions. They considered themselves higher than others because they adhered to strict laws of Judaism and to the laws of Moses. Jesus says beware… Beware of thinking believing that what God can do for you depends on your works. The power of God depends on faith and not on works. “Immeasurable power for those who believe…” (Ephesians 1:19) So how do we understand the mathematics of loaves and baskets? – By faith. Here ends today’s article.

On a separate note, I would like to leave the reader a question to ponder upon.

Paul says,

· Galatians 2:16 – “…We know that a person is justified not by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.

· Romans 3:28 – “For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law”

· Romans 5: 1 – “Therefore since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”

· Romans 4:2,3,9b – “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed (had faith in) God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” “…Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.”

James says,

· James 2:14 - “What good is it, my brothers, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?”

· James 2:24 – “…a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

· James 2:26 – “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.”

· James 2:21 – “Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the alter?”

Based on the above verses, are Paul and James teaching two contradicting versions of the gospel? Please leave your thoughts, comments and questions below.