SHARING BREAD
29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee.
Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the
blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and
he healed them. 31 The
people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the
lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
Matt
15:29-31 (NIV)
Hurting humanity constantly sought the Healer for
healing. The signs of Christ’s power and
of His goodness were neither scarce nor scanty – they still are not. In our verses for today we discover our Lord sitting
on a mountainside so that He was both visible and accessible to all – so like
Jesus. Christ received all kinds of
people – the poor as well as the rich, the ordinary as well as the opulent,
those in bondage physically as well as those in bondage emotionally and spiritually
– the souls of the lowly, the outcast, the “undesirables” being as precious to
Him as the souls of the highest and greatest in the social strata. We are all the same at the foot of the cross
are we not? It was as if Jesus settled
in to do His gracious and good works.
Isaiah tells us:
18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show
you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18 (NIV)
“Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blessed, finding as
He promised, perfect peace and rest.” Frances Havergal
We also discover in our passage for today the sick coming
forth seeking Him like flies to honey. People
were continually bringing their infirmed relatives and friends and laying them
at Jesus’ feet as objects of pity for His healing touch. Their illnesses spoke for them much more
eloquently and clearly than mere words could have ever accomplish. Certainly, the only way to find peace and relief
to all problems plaguing humanity is to lay them at Christ’s feet. The physically sick being normally more eager
to seek His healing than those trapped in spiritual diseases – those in bondage
to sin and death. Now, just as then, the
Lord Jesus eagerly desires to heal all.
2 When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer?
Was my arm too short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? Isaiah 50:2 (NIV)
Was my arm too short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? Isaiah 50:2 (NIV)
Yet we all desire wholeness – peace like the river and
righteousness like the waves of the sea.
If we are honest with ourselves we will agree that our dreaded
rebellious streak – our persistence in going our own ways – paths which are against
God and His ways have caused us much harm and futility. Yet He holds out His arms to us ever wooing
and drawing us back.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take
my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and
you will find rest for your souls. 30 For
my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matt 11:28-30 (NIV)
“There are no disappointments to those whose wills are
buried in the will of God.” Frederick William Faber
17 This is what the LORD says--your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17 (NIV)
Faith comes in believing what God says is true – that He has
our best interest at heart and that His ways work out to our advantage in the
end – not that they will be easy or painless but they will be for our
best. He always has our best interest at
heart. We can trust Him. Similar to these physically sick people who
were clamoring for His touch – obviously they believed He could and would help
them. The scene described today is very
reminiscent of the one described just prior to the Sermon on the Mount. Earlier in Matthew we are told:
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their
synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease
and sickness among the people. 24 News
about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill
with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those
having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Matt
4:23-24 (NIV)
The work of our Savior was not limited to His merely preaching
the Truth. His miraculous deeds pointed
to the fact that He was Who He claimed to be – His Words authenticated by His
actions. Indeed, Jesus came teaching,
preaching and healing:
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching
in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every
disease and sickness. Matt 9:35 (NIV)
“His love in times past forbids me to think, He’ll leave me
at last in trouble to sink.” John Newton
“And they praised the God of Israel.”
What I
glean from this:
· Christ’s
power and goodness are neither scarce nor scanty.
· I desire
wholeness in Him Who is the dispenser of peace like the river and righteousness
like the waves of the sea.
· Jesus put
action to His Words – He not only preached Truth, He healed every disease and
sickness.
