Do Not Dismiss the Ministry of Jesus Through Me Just Because His Work in Me is Different

Imagine a sultry summer afternoon and more than 5,000 people have followed Jesus, the Christ out in the country, to a deserted field to hear what He had to say! Given the context, Jesus was really going out there to be alone, with his grieving disciples because He had received news that Herod, the tetrarch, had beheaded John the Baptist, the second cousin of Jesus Christ, and His prophetic forerunner.

You find this and subsequent incidents beginning in verse 1 of the 14th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.

The crowds of urbanites who had heard about the miraculous work of this young Galilean contractor, turned spiritual, brought with them individuals suffering with various illnesses and other problems, and Jesus healed them.

Later that evening, the disciples came to Jesus and said: "This is a deserted plan and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." (Matt. 14:15, New King James Version). When we turn to the account of this incident in Mark's Gospel, we read the following: "Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head (John the Baptist) to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. When the disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb. Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said to them, 'Come aside by yourselvesto a deserted place and rest awhile.' For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. But the multitudes saw them departing and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things." (Mark 6:27-34)

In this, Jesus teaches a vital lesson for us--the Church--those of use born from above, who have the power of the Holy Spirit within and are, thereby, His witnesses to all people--Lesson 1: Never allow your pain to overshadow your purpose. Sometimes, we struggle with various pains, such as grief, being busy, struggling with challenges, etc. In those times, we become so focused on what we're doing and its perceived value that we miss an opportunity to serve others, even in new and different ways.

We come to the second lesson in this series of events when the disciples gave Jesus what seemed to be a very practical suggestion: Let the people go back to the various villages so they can buy food since they've been out here with us a long time without eating and besides it's getting late. It would seem that an equally practical reply from Jesus would have been: "That's a great idea. Let's send them away." I daresay the crowds would have understood. The facts were clear: it was late; there was no food; many of them were hungry. Remember this, though, faith often requires and always empowers God's servants to live beyond the facts.

Instead, Jesus challenged His disciples to reject their "boxed thinking," however right it might have been in the past, and to serve people in a way and at a level they had never tried and would have never initiated: "You give them something to eat." (Mark 6:37). Matthew records this: "But Jesus said to them, 'They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.'" Lesson 2: because I am with you, you can do much, much more and in a much different way than resources and your experience seem to indicate. In other words, your only limits revolve around this question: do you believe what you see (incapacity and inexperience) or do you see what you believe (all things are possible with God)?

The disciples refused to serve, not in a sense of disobedience, or rebellion, but from a perspective of incapacity.
Notice the points they made:

1. We cannot do what you say because this task requires more resources than we have. (Mark 6:37).
2. The demand for services exceeds our capacity to serve (You see we have here only five loaves and two fish). Surely we cannot feed 5,000 people with what we have, (Matt. 14:17).

This time the response from Jesus teaches a third lesson. Jesus said: Lesson 3: "Bring them to me." "Them" refers to your resources, your capacities, your perceived limitations, even your skepticism about a proposed solution. You see, it would have been easy for the disciples to reason within and among themselves: what difference will bringing them (the loaves and the fish) to Him make. It's still insufficient to serve so many.

Even though they did not believe what Jesus proposed would work, they, nevertheless, cooperated with Him. The brought Him what they had, transforming it thereby from a meager harvest to an investment. In other words, they positioned themselves to "sow seed" in service to others.

In verses 19-21, we find lessons four and five in this series of events. Verse 19: "Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass." Lesson 4: In the power of Jesus, you can find "grass" in your most deserted of places-in your grief, your agony, your pain, your frustrations, your ineffectiveness and even in your lack of resources. When Jesus commands "sit down on the grass," don't worry about how barren, forlong and forsaken your personal deserted place appears to be. Don't worry about the fact that you cannot see any grass and cannot understand how in the world you're going to find grass in this place. Simply sit and expect grass to be there.

We find lesson five in this same verse: Lesson 5: When Jesus teaches, He requires your participation. Jesus blessed the resources--five loaves and two fish-which the disciples had invested in this strategy to help more than 5,000 people. You, when they looked into the basket, they saw what they had invested. For the miracle was not in the investing, but in the serving, the giving. They continued to serve and the resources continued to be sufficient.

Many times, we limit God's definition of "abudance' to mean: an observable increase. Sometimes "abundance" means the little you have is not exhausted and thereby accomplishes more than you expected. We find the underlying principle of this observation in Proverbs 14:23 "In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty."

Jesus gave the disciples labor to perform, to continue serving more than 5,000 people when the resources they saw seemed wholly inadequate for the task. Jesus propelled them into an unacquainted, non-tradtional role. Yet as exciting as all this was, Jesus merely prepared them for an even greater opportunity.

After feeding the more than 5,000 men, women and children, the disciples received an abundant return. They came to this desert place with no food. They left, each with a basket of food for themselves, after having served a huge multitude with what initially appeared to be insufficient resources.

The lessons continue!

"Immediately, Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away." (Matt. 14:22). We find in Mark's account that Jesus was sending them to Bethsaida. Notice please that Jesus gave them specific instructions on when to leave (immediately), how to leave (in the boat they had arrived in), and where to go (Bethsaida). Jesus gave specific instructions, with a specific destination. His instructions did not leave room for disaster that would destroy their destination. "Get into the boat and go to Bethsaida," Jesus said. Plain and simple instructions with a beginning and an ending.

Lesson 6: Far too often, disciples today forget, even ignore the plain and simple instructions of Jesus, even after being involved with powerful demonstrations of His power.

Soon after leaving, the disciples confronted another challenge--They were in a boat caught in the middle of a severe squall and their traditional resources-their experience as fishermen, and their rowing skills--were insufficient to solve this challenge.

In an earlier incident, reported in Mark 4:35-39, Jesus demonstrated a strange, different, but effective way of dealing with a storm. Pick up the story in verse 35 of Mark, chapter 4: "On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side.'" Notice again, a very specific instruction, with a beginning (now) and a destination (the other side). Verse 37: "And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow."

Often when confronted with uncommon challenges and seeing Jesus responding calmly, seemingly unconcerned with our dilemma, we panic and declare in our own minds, an outcome Jesus never intended and will not allow to occur. "And they awoke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher do You not care that we are perishing?' In their minds, the destination has changed from "the other side," to "we're perishing." "Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm." (Mark 4:39)

Please take note that just minutes earlier, they awoke Jesus with the familiar term "Rabbi," or "Teacher," but after seeing Him performed with uncommon power and authority, the disciples said to one another: " . . .Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?'" Lesson 7: Often when confronted with the power and authority of Jesus, we cease to recognize Him as our close and familiar friend with whom we have been blessed to have an intense and passionate relationship. Rather, we see Him as some unfamiliar stranger with strange powers. In other words, they failed the test.

So here they are, a few weeks later, confronting the same challenge, only this time, Jesus is not in the boat. So the disciples, rather than calling on God's power by the authority of Jesus, tried using the methods and the strategies they were familiar with--the ways of this world--to solve this dilemma. The word of God advises: "Do not any longer conform to the ways of their world (age), but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind." A renewed mind accepts new ideas, new methods, new strategies and new expectations directly from the examples Jesus left us.

Pick up the story now in Mark 6:47-48: "Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night--between 3am and 6am--He came to them walking on the sea, and would have passed them by." Why? Lesson 8:When we refuse to listen and to use the new tools, the new approaches, the new strategies, no matter how effectively the old ways once worked, Jesus often bypasses on His way to the destination He set of us.

Notice the disciples' reaction to seeing Jesus in yet another unfamiliar role: "And when they saw him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost and cried out." (v. 49).

Matthew's account tells us that Peter responded this way: "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to You on the water." Jesus said: "Come." Please note that Jesus did not say: "Peter, come," thereby limiting the command to just one disciple. Jesus said simply: "Come!" Lesson 9:Every disciple on that boat could have responded to a new approach, a new strategy, a new way of doing business. But alas, only Peter got off the boat and began to walk on the water. Similarly today every disciple can respond to new ways, new strategies, new approaches, new opportunities, but unfortunately, far too many of God's people fear leaving their particular boats.

Yet, even then, something happened to Peter that often happens to disciples today. "But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying 'Lord save me.'" You see, Peter's mind, or more specifically, the dominant paradigm in his mind, betrayed the power of his new behavior and Peter began to fail. Yet in his never-ending compassion for us, Jesus had timed His walk so that as Peter began sinking, Jesus was there to lift him up, set him back atop the water and together they came to the boat. Lesson 10: Focus on what God called you to do, especially when He reveals new methods and strategies.

Now, let us consider lessons 11 and 12. Lesson 11: Jesus often appears to you, working through someone you do not expect, commanding these person to help you in non-traditional ways you did not anticipate.

Here's the final lesson in this incident of profound teaching. Lesson 12:You can "walk on water" but you must exit your boat, (your safety net, your security blanket) where you continue using old methods to get through your storm. Even when you walk on water, you must not consider this miracle to be any more strange than the other miracles God has performed in your life.

Here is a summary of the 12 lessons we find in this situation that begin on a hot sultry day during the earthly ministry of Jesus

1. Never allow your pain to overshadow your purpose

2. Because I am with you, you can do much, much more and in a much different way than resources and your experience seem to indicate. In other words, your only limits revolve around this question: do you believe what you see (incapacity and inexperience) or do you see what you believe (all things are possible with God)?

3. "Bring them to me."

4. In the power of Jesus, you can find "grass" in your most deserted of places-in your grief, your agony, your pain, your frustrations, your ineffectiveness and even in your lack of resources.

5. When Jesus teaches, He requires your participation. Jesus blessed the resources--five loaves and two fish-which the disciples had invested in this strategy to help more than 5,000 people. You, when they looked into the basket, they saw what they had invested. For the miracle was not in the investing, but in the serving, the giving. They continued to serve and the resources continued to be sufficient.

6. Lesson 6: Far too often, disciples today forget, even ignore the plain and simple instructions of Jesus, even after being involved with powerful demonstrations of His power.

7. Often when confronted with the power and authority of Jesus, we cease to recognize Him as our close and familiar friend with whom we have been blessed to have an intense and passionate relationship. Rather, we see Him as some unfamiliar stranger with strange powers. In other words, they failed the test.

8. When we refuse to listen and to use the new tools, the new approaches, the new strategies, no matter how effectively the old ways once worked, Jesus often bypasses on His way to the destination He set of us.

9. Every disciple on that boat could have responded to a new approach, a new strategy, a new way of doing business. But alas, only Peter got off the boat and began to walk on the water. Similarly today every disciple can respond to new ways, new strategies, new approaches, new opportunities, but unfortunately, far too many of God's people fear leaving their particular boats.

10. Focus on what God called you to do, especially when He reveals new methods and strategies.

11. Jesus often appears to you, working through someone you do not expect, commanding these persons to help you in non-traditional ways you did not anticipate.

12. You can "walk on water" but you must exit your boat ( your safety net, your security blanket) where you continue using old methods to get through your storm. Even when you walk on water, you must not consider this miracle to be any more strange than the other miracles God has performed in your life.

These lessons apply to the disciples of Jesus, the Christ today as they did to those disciples then. I pray we learn these lessons and go on to fulfill the prophetic word of Jesus: "'Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he wiil do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name I will do it.'" (John 14: 12-14)

In my next article in this series, I will show how God will work to change the laws and practices of a nation to increase the effectiveness of his servants.