The Compassion of A Tired Messiah

    As I study the scriptures and see glorious truths, I often want to write about it. However the problem I have in regard to this blog is that, when I start working on a blog post in my head about the text, I tend to develop a sermon rather than a blog post. The text deserves more than just a few paragraphs. I don't have the time or space to be writing sermons. But I decided to try to write a post about a text I had considered.

    The text I want to consider is Luke 9:10-11 and related verses in Mark 6:30-34 and Matt 14:13-14.

     Jesus needed a break. His disciples needed a break. Mark says that they hadn't even had time to eat because the crowds were swarming around them desperate for Jesus' help. The disciples had just returned from a tour of ministry as they preached, healed and cast out demons in the Jewish countryside and villages. Also around this time, Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist. All these events prompted  Jesus to wisely take a rest for Him and His disciples. They were worn out mentally, emotionally, and physically. So Jesus took His twelve disciples on a boat across the lake of Galilee to a deserted place. I am sure that they were all looking forward to some rest and relaxation.

   But look! As they reach the shore, there was a small crowd of people waiting for them, and perhaps as they looked in the distance they could see more people streaming to the spot. It is not hard to imagine what they were thinking as they saw these crowd which meant the end to all their plans to relax and refresh. Some perhaps groaned at this change in plans. Others may have complained and grumbled about the crowds. Still others may have shot an angry look at those miserable people that never seemed to leave them alone. I know if I was in their place, I would have had something of the same feelings. But what did Jesus think and feel when He saw the crowds?

  Luke tells us He welcomed them. Mark explains that He had compassion on the people. Why? Because they were like sheep without a shepherd. The leaders of Israel were to be the spiritual shepherds of God's people. They were to teach them faithfully and accurately God's word. But they failed to do that. In fact they used God's people for their own selfish purposes. They taught lies instead of truth. They led them into error instead of wisdom. They gave them a bad example. The leaders of Israel cared nothing for the people. So when Jesus saw the crowds, He saw a people who were spiritually hopeless and lost and it moved Him to compassion. His first response is not the expressions of a selfish heart, but of an unselfish heart that cared deeply about the welfare of others.

    The spiritual needs of the crowd moved Him to compassion which resulted in Him laboring to meet those needs even though He must have been tired and weary. Jesus met their needs by teaching them about the kingdom of God. He didn't only seek to meet their spiritual needs as the Good Shepherd, but He also sought to meet their physical needs. He healed their sick and later, created enough food to feed all of them with some left over. Notice that Jesus doesn't just say, 'well, I'll teach them for an hour and then shoo them away.' No, He spends all afternoon and some of the evening ministering to the crowds. Consider also that many in this crowd didn't care about Jesus at all. Many were there only to get healed or to see some excitement. Yet Jesus still feels compassion for them. How amazing is Jesus! How unlike us! What a Savior! What a God!

Brad

The Perfect Wisdom of Our God

God is wise. This can be defined in this way; 'His choice of the highest end and the best means to that end.' Simple, right? Easy to understand--God is wise. He does what is best to achieve the highest end, which is His glory and the good of His people. But, how does this apply in every day life? How can we live this out? How can we turn our knowledge of God's wisdom into wisdom on our end--that is applying our knowledge?

We were studying the wisdom of God in one of our last Bible Studies. God is wise so we can be comforted when trials come, knowing it is for the highest end. All the trials that occur are for the good of those that love Him and for His glory. He is constantly at work in our lives for our spiritual good and for His glory.

As we were learning this, I was dealing with a baby who refused to sleep. When I finally got him to sleep, a short time later another child started crying and then woke the baby up. Usually our baby is asleep almost immediately--we never hear him in the evenings. But he was up all evening. I was tired. When the Bible study members left I felt like I was ready to cry--what was I going to do with this crying baby? Why was he crying? I was already so tired, how could I handle a late night? Frustration oozed out of every pore.

My husband graciously took the baby, told me to go to sleep and I headed to bed. But, I could not sleep. I could still hear him crying whenever my husband stopped walking. So I started to pray, 'Lord, please let him sleep, let us sleep...' and then I stopped as a thought came to mind. God is wise. He knows why the baby is crying. He knows that it is what is best right now, even though I don't understand it. He is in control of this situation.

Now, instead of praying that the baby would stop crying, and that we could get sleep, I hopped out of bed, ready to take over for my husband. I was now armed with the knowledge and the joy that God is wise--that in His wisdom, this was the best means for the highest end. I realized that this crying baby was the means that God had chosen to fulfill His purposes. I didn't (and still don't fully) understand what those purposes were, but I found such joy in knowing this and in resting in this truth.

Knowing that God is wise we can find joy in each situation we find ourselves in. We ought to put aside all grumbling and complaining, as no situation is out of His control. He has wisely brought about each and every trial for His glory and our good. All praise and glory to Him!

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

~Fenna

Ruminations On Wealth And Poverty

Every so often I come across this idea that people are wealthy because of some privileged background or by taking advantage of the poor. Those in poverty are said to be there because they are taken advantage of or because they belong to some minority group. In our culture, many look down on the wealthy and want to punish them for their 'crime' of acquiring wealth. The sad thing is that these ideas are often held by Christians. But this simplistic view of wealth and poverty doesn't stand up to the Bible. I would especially turn your attention to the Proverbs, which have much to say on this subject. I don't want to write a long piece on this subject, just a few thoughts.

  People become wealthy through various means. Some are born rich and maintain their wealth through good business skills. Others are born poor, but rise up to wealth through hard work, skill and prudence. There are those who gain their wealth by scams, dishonesty, bribes and other sinful ways. These people often will live off the labor and pain of others. A few people can became rich through lotteries, inheritances, and successful treasure hunts. There is a great variety in how someone becomes wealthy.

   The Bible does not condemn people for being wealthy. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, and Joseph of Arimathea were all rich people. In fact riches are a blessing from God. But the Bible condemns the love of money and its waste. Wealth is to be used for the glory of God. David used his wealth to finance the building of the temple and so we should use ours for Christ's kingdom. Paul tells Timothy to "Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed." 1 Timothy 6:17-19.  Well would it be for the church if it had more godly rich people to fund the work of gospel ministry.

  All material poverty eventually traces its roots to sin. That is why Jesus could say that you will always have the poor with you. Mark 14:7. Old Mother Sin will always be here in this present age and so her children, like Mr. Poverty, will be with her til then as well. Poverty may be the sin of the one who is poor or the sin of others who caused one to be poor or it may be the result of the curse that came with sin. Either way sin is the cause of poverty. Some are poor because of addictions, foolish management of wealth, and greed. Some people come to poverty because of their crimes. Harming or abusing someone may cause someone's poverty as they are sued and now have to pay out a large sum of money. Laziness causes others to become or stay poor. In countries like North Korea or Venezuela, people are poor because of the corrupt and foolish governments that run the country. Theft or fraud can cause others to become poor. There are many ways one stays or becomes poor, but it all goes back to sin.

 Sin brought a curse on this world. Part of that curse is trouble like disease, floods, droughts, earthquakes and so on. These natural disasters can also cause poverty. A plague of locusts can turn a prosperous farm or area into a desolate wasteland. If someone gets really sick, they can't work and have extra bills to pay because of their illness. This can also lead to people becoming poor. In these cases there isn't a way for a person to prevent the onslaught of poverty. We must trust that God has a good purpose in all this, even if it seems all dark to us.

  It certainly isn't wrong to be in poverty so long as it is not because of your sins. Poverty is not a curse, even if it is because of the curse. The poor may have some advantage to the rich in this life as they may see the hopelessness of the things of the world better. James 1:9-10. It can be better spiritually to be poor, but not always.  Both rich and poor must learn to be content in whatever situation God has placed them in. Like Paul we should be able to say, " I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." See Phil 4:11-13.

  Since there are so many reasons someone becomes poor, there are also many ways needed to get someone out of poverty. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Governments like to think that giving money will solve all our poverty problems. But this is a naive solution. If the problem is addiction or out of control spending, more money will only make things worse.  Each individual case must be examined to see where exactly the cause of the poverty comes from. When the problem is identified, then the cure can be administered. There may be times when the correct solution to a person's poverty is to do nothing but leave them in it. "If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either." 2 Thess 3:10.  As you can imagine this approach is time consuming and challenging. It requires a lot of wisdom and discernment. But trying to relieve those in poverty this way, will help achieve our goal of helping the poor more often than not.

Brad