No Rejection

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.”
John 6:35-37 NLT

The eternal nature of Jesus’s claim about being the bread of life was largely missed by His listeners on this occasion. His message of eternal life and the miraculous signs that He committed made no difference to the majority of the people of His day. All they were interested in was having the opportunity to receive another free meal. In common with their ancestors, they could not see beyond their immediate physical needs, and, worse, they preferred to continue in their lives of sin. But there was a ray of hope splitting the darkness of rejection – there were people who God had called to His Son’s side, and Jesus said He would never reject them. We know who these people were because they formed the bedrock of the church. The twelve disciples, later to be called Apostles, spent three years with Jesus, being taught by Him and prepared for a lifetime of service. 

But there were others too who joined and followed Him, and who are still coming to Him even today. Men, women and children who have heard the Heavenly call and who proclaim their belief in Jesus. Paul wrote His Ephesian letter with the following two verses near its beginning. “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (Ephesians 1:4-5). God is a meticulous planner, able to bring about the minutest detail in His creative plans. God didn’t just create the world and then walk away, leaving mankind to get on with living on it. As part of His creation He could see the time when His Son Jesus would walk its paths as a human being, sharing God’s plans with the men and women of His day, and God knew in advance those who would follow His Son, making a choice to respond to the call stirring within them. 

But is this not a contentious thought, that God has a special plan for individual people? Does that not imply rejection of the rest? At the end of the parable of the Great Feast, Jesus made the statement “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). God does not have favourites and there is what some have called level ground at the foot of the Cross. Everyone is called to be part of God’s Kingdom, but only a few make the life changes necessary to become “chosen”. In the Parable I have just referred to, the Master of the banquet sent out invitations to come to the feast, and we read in Matthew 22:10, “So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests”. The story continues with the King meeting all those at the banquet but finding someone not wearing the proper clothes. This was a man who somehow had come to enjoy the occasion but had not made any preparations for life in God’s Kingdom. Sadly, he was still wearing the filthy rags of sin, not realising that there will only be pure and holy people who eat at God’s table.

The message of this Parable was clear. All of mankind have an opportunity to respond to God by believing in His Son, Jesus. But there is then a follow up choice to be made before the belief in Jesus can lead to being chosen as one of His children. The man at the banquet had made no attempt to repent of his sins and come to Jesus, and by doing so replacing his filthy rags with garments whiter than white. Isaiah 1:18-19, ”“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat“”. So we pilgrims ask ourselves, as we look in a mirror reflecting what is inside our souls, what colour are my garments? Red or white? If we make the right choice, to believe in Jesus, then there will be an amazing transformation affecting our clothes. Our seats at the Heavenly banquet will have our names on them, because Jesus will never reject us.

Father God. When we first came to You, our clothes were totally unsuitable for Your Son’s wedding reception, but through Your grace and love, You have dressed us in clothes of white. We worship You today, deeply grateful for Your mercy. Amen.

The True Bread

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.” Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.””
John 6:32-35 NLT

Jesus is in the middle of a conversation with the Galileans, as He ministered in the region of Capernaum. On the east side of the Sea of Galilee He had fed them, providing full stomachs of bread and fish for five thousand men and their families. The news of this miracle had preceded Jesus and when He returned to the other side of the Sea, they hoped that He would feed them again, and again, and … “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.” But Jesus raised the conversation to considerations of spiritual food, by informing them that Father God in Heaven is offering people bread from Heaven that will sustain them to eternal life. Then came the message that the people were having difficulty in understanding – Jesus Himself was this bread from Heaven. Spiritual manna that would mean those who consumed it would never be hungry and thirsty again. Jesus said that He Himself was the Source of life for those that came to Him and believed in Him. 

Jesus’ message weaved a thread of gold throughout the Gospels. A timeless truth that was so profound but one that was largely rejected by a people soaked in Pharisaical tradition, the Law and its rules and regulations. The concept of believing in a Man, even if He was the Son of God, rather than adhering to the traditions and liturgy of the Jewish faith at that time, was something they couldn’t accept. But Jesus’ message that He was the Bread of life is still valid today in this season of grace in which we live. Everyone needs spiritual sustenance. In Jesus’ day, the people weren’t satisfied with the religion prevailing at that time, but their hardness of heart blinded them to the greatest message of hope this world has ever seen. Today, people try and feed their spirits through hedonistic pleasures that last for a brief time only to disappear with the morning dawn. If only they could see that the spiritual food they need is just there for the taking.

The psalmists wrote, “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?” (Psalm 42:1-2). There were many Jews over the years who longed for spiritual food to satisfy their souls, to the extent that they even wrote about it. David found His source of life in His shepherd, the Lord Himself. He wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. … Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:1,6). A soul satisfied by the food that brings life, and life, full and eternal.

Dear Lord Jesus. Only You have the words if eternal life. Only You can satisfy the yearning within our souls. We praise You today. Amen.

The Request For a Sign

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ””
John 6:28-31 NKJV

At first sight, this seems to be a disgraceful response to Jesus. ”Give us some proof about Your credentials, and seeing as You claim to be the Son of God, make sure it is a miraculous sign”, was their demand. Those people on the Galilean shore even had the audacity to specify the miraculous sign they were looking for. They suggested that Jesus provided manna, the food that sustained the Israelite slaves through forty years of wandering in the desert between Egypt and the Promised Land. In other words, they enjoyed the meal of bread and fish on the other side of the lake but they suggested to Jesus that He kept feeding them, just as their ancestors were in the wilderness. But all Jesus was requesting was that the people believed who He was, a simple response surely, but they knew then, as people know today, that believing in Jesus will require a change in beliefs, behaviour and a different approach to their otherwise sinful lives. Jesus called that change “the work of God”. 

It is doubtful that any number of “signs” would have convinced the people of His day that a belief in Jesus was necessary for their spiritual health and well-being. Seeing the sick healed would have been an entertaining spectacle, especially to those who were not personally involved. Perhaps they thought that miracles had been performed before by the great prophets. Their heritage was steeped in miracles. Manna in the desert. Water from a rock face. Walls tumbling down. Giants slain. Their scriptures contained accounts of many such miracles. So what’s new here might have been their thoughts. But none of those prophets claimed to be divine, as Jesus did.

Jesus was offering the people a relationship with Him. Not a detached gratitude for the miracles, but a pathway through miraculous signs to believing in Him. In another scripture we read, “When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee?“ (John 7:40-41). Some of the people were convinced about Jesus, acknowledging that He was the Messiah. But did they go on to believe in Him?

There are people today who will engage in a one to one conversation in which they will profess a belief in Jesus. But back in the office, with others around, they lapse back into the ways of those around them. James wrote, “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do” (James 1:6-8). This is a warning to people who say that they believe in Jesus but have yet to make a transition into being a true believer. Miraculous signs may help some to believe in Jesus, but it is the Holy Spirit today who brings a new believer into a relationship with God.

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank You that You cared enough to come to this world at just the right time. We worship You today. Amen.

Working the Works

Posted on by korgrocker

“Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.””
John 6:27-29 NKJV

The people having a conversation with Jesus, the Jews who had followed Him around the Sea of Galilee, had a noble but potential mission statement – working the works of God. These people had a good understanding of the God of the Old Testament, and wanted to do what He wanted them to do, at least they said they did. But over time their view of God had become mired in rules and regulations, and perhaps they had replaced Him with a “God” more of their own construction. They wanted a God who once again would interact positively in their affairs, feeding them with “manna” and helping them win battles over their belligerent neighbours, or, in their own topical situation, extracting their nation from the clutches of the Roman Empire. So to the Jews, the concept of doing God’s work focussed on the doing. But Jesus once again pointed out the most important “work” – believing in the One standing before them, that He was God’s Son, sent to redeem the people from their sins. 

There was another occasion when someone asked Jesus about what they should do and we can find the story in Matthew 19. A rich and religious man came to Jesus to ask what he should do to inherit eternal life. By the Galilean shores, Jesus told the Jews in the crowd to shift their labour, their doing, from working for natural foods to instead working towards eternal life. The rich man was aware of the importance of eternal life but felt a bit unsure about how to get there. To him, Jesus suggested he keep the commandments, going further to spell out which ones. But the rich man still wasn’t satisfied, and asked what else he should do because he had always been diligent in keeping the commandments. There was something inside the man’s heart that lacked the peace and joy that can only come from a relationship with God. Jesus told him to get rid of all the things that were holding him back, selling his “stuff” if necessary, but then we read the poignant conclusion, “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Matthew 19:22).

To the Jews by the Sea of Galilee, they had very little “stuff” in the first place so all Jesus asked them to do was to believe in Him. Once they had overcome that hurdle they were on the right path. The same question is hanging in the air today. Many people accept that Jesus came to this planet, but very few in our Western cultures actually believe in Him. And what about us pilgrims? Are we cultural Christians, warming the pews, arranging the Sunday flowers, and enjoying the social interactions, or are we a people who believe in the One sent from God? There is a world of a difference, and to get to a point of really believing in Jesus is a choice often riven by doubts.

The declaration of faith we call the Apostles’ Creed starts off, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord …” And it continues with statements of truth that add up to Jesus’ invitation to “believe in Him whom He sent”. But even then it is possible for people to just go through the motions, paying what is called a “lip service”, saying the words but not really believing them in their hearts. Believing in Jesus is a decision that leads to a lifetime of relationship with the One sent by God. 

To say we believe in Jesus is a counter-cultural statement and leads us to a position in society that sets us apart from those around us. Believers have a choice to make – to follow God’s ways or those of the secular society around us. But that is not to say we cut ourselves off from all contact with the lost and helpless. The ethos of showing God’s love to others, regardless of faith, is at the very heart of what God would have us do – showing His love and grace to a lost and dying world. There is no-one else to do it, and, for a believer, there is no-one better equipped.

Dear Lord Jesus. You came to seek and save the lost. There are many such people around us, so please help us to hear You clearly so that we can bring Your message of hope to them. In Your precious name. Amen.

“Spend Your Energy”

Posted on by korgrocker

“They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.””
John 6:25-27 NLT

The “crowd” finally caught up with Jesus on the “other side of the lake”. This would have been in the region around Capernaum, on the west side of the Sea of Galilee. Of course, by this time, numbers would have been much reduced because there wouldn’t have been enough boats to transport the five thousand men and their families across the lake, but we read in John 6:24 that they were “looking for Him”. But having found Him, the people were perplexed, because they couldn’t understand how He had got there so quickly. They knew that He wasn’t in the boat with the disciples, and there were no other boats available. But Jesus wasn’t one for a cosy chat, and He cut right across all the practical issues and questions to deliver a message about eternal life.

When He had been found by the people, Jesus immediately knew what they were after – more free food. Jesus used the phrase “I tell you the truth” to precede His analysis of the situation. This was a phrase He often used, and is worth taking note of as we read the Gospels and the words of Jesus. The old King James Version uses the phrase “verily, verily …”, something I’m sure we all remember. Jesus told His listeners, “you want to be with me because I fed you”. An understandable and accurate conclusion, but that wasn’t why He had come to Planet Earth. He had come to give the people eternal life. Something of much more value. 

Jesus told His listeners something that they probably weren’t so keen on. “Spend your energy seeking … eternal life”. To a people toiling to make a living from subsistence farming, such a message would have not gone down well. Because of the Fall, farming the ground was hard work. We read what God said to Adam in Genesis 3:17-18, “And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains”. The curse was still on the ground when Jesus came to Palestine, and producing sufficient food to feed a family all year round wasn’t easy. Additionally, in years of famine, perhaps caused by unfavourable weather patterns, people starved. 

But the question for us pilgrims today is about where we spend our energy. I’m sure we could all produce a long list of pastimes that people follow, and none of them involve seeking eternal life. Of course, God knows that we need to earn a living. But regardless of where the source of what we need for our natural lives is, Jesus’ message is the same today as it was two thousand or so years ago. “Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you”. Meditating on just this phrase will open a door to a wealth of possibilities, but the overriding question must be, “Is what I am doing of benefit to God’s Kingdom or the worldly kingdom around us”. Perhaps our priorities should follow a pattern of God, and our relationship with Him, first. Then our employment to provide for our physical needs, and the needs of our families. Next, devoting our spare time and energy in doing works to further God’s Kingdom, and, lastly, if we have any time left, spending it on recharging our own batteries. But we each must do what Jesus told His Jewish listeners on the Galilee shore, “[seek] the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you”.  How we do that can only be determined in prayer and our faith and relationship in and with God.

Dear God. Jesus came to show us the way to You. His message of life and hope still reverberates around the world today. Please open our ears to hear You more. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

More On The Crowd

Posted on by korgrocker

“The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him.”
John 6:22-24 NLT

The crowd were still hanging around the next day. They must have camped out all night, because John recorded that they “stayed on the far shore”. But with the new dawn, they realised that the only boat there had headed off with the disciples, and that Jesus hadn’t gone with them. Why did they stay there and not head back home? What about their work? Perhaps there was business they needed to attend to. But in their minds they had had an encounter with Jesus, and that was worth hanging around for. How many times have we wished that we could have stayed longer in a meeting, but knowing, reluctantly, that we have to get up for work the next day? When in the middle of an encounter with Jesus time seems to stand still and we want to camp in His presence. But the cynic observing the behaviour of the people staying overnight would say that they only waited around to get another free meal. 

So where was Jesus, they wondered? Then several boats arrived from Tiberias, a town on the west side of the Sea of Galilee but further south from Capernaum. John mentioned in his account that the boats landed at the shore where Jesus had fed the crowd, so perhaps he too was wondering if it was free food that was drawing people to this remote place. 

What was this crowd of people like? Well, there would have been old and young people. Men, women and children. Rich and poor (but probably mainly the poor). Amongst them would have been some religious leaders. All in all, a good cross section of the Jewish Galilean society. Why did they come to see Jesus? John 6:2 gives us a clue, “A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick“. These people in the crowd were drawn by the supernatural events that were beyond any natural explanation. In those days, sick people generally died of their illness, unless it was a mild attack of something. There were no antibiotics capable of fighting infections. In fact, someone has researched life expectancy in those days, and come up with a figure of thirty five years. So to find a miracle healer who could heal a sick person was worth going to see, especially if you weren’t feeling very well. But it wasn’t just a sickness that Jesus healed. He also cast out demons. This is a contentious subject because we don’t generally talk about demon possession today. But if it was a problem in the Holy Land two thousand years ago, then it probably still is today. We just call a “demon” something else. Is it some form of mental illness? People often refer to dealing with their “demons”, referring to some form of oppression, or behaviour, perhaps with historical or family roots. Behavioural problems, challenging societal norms, can perhaps be due to some form of demonic influence. And certainly we can look at many practices (current gender ideologies?) that could be attributed to the devil and his minions.

Another consideration that we have with the “crowd” is that the great majority of them were not following God’s ways but instead marching along the broad way that leads to destruction. Matthew 7:13, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way“. God in His grace gave them the opportunity to hear what Jesus was saying and teaching about the Kingdom of God. Nothing has changed today, however. Most of the people that we pilgrims know have also chosen to go with the flow, the broad way that Jesus warned about.

So we pilgrims, journeying along the narrow path, fighting our way against the tides of public and family pressures and opinions, must never give up. The society around us will persecute us, ostracise us, treat us as though we are different to them and therefore try and force us to turn back. But we stand firm. Jesus said in Matthew 24:13, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved”. Jesus taught the people in His day to focus on spiritual food that will lead to eternal life. So must we pilgrims, because there is no other way.

Father God. Thank You for Your grace and love, available without limit to anyone who comes to You. and thank You for Your Son Jesus, who so willingly came to earth to show us how much You care for us. We worship You today. Amen.

Jesus Walking on Water

Posted on by korgrocker

“But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!”
John 6:17-21 NLT

The scene opens with darkness falling, and a small boat with several men in it in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, struggling against the wind and waves. Having been in a small boat in very rough seas, I know that this can be terrifying, but these were mostly seasoned fishermen, so being in a Galilean storm would not have been an unknown experience to them. Matthew records what happened next, “About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water” (Matthew 14:25). I personally don’t doubt for a minute that Jesus did walk on the water, but sometimes I wonder about the physics of this. Were His feet in contact with the water, or was He floating slightly above? Was He bobbing up and down with the waves? Did He get His feet wet? But when the disciples saw Him, the account in Matthew grips our imaginations – “When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”” (Matthew 14:26). Well, we would be terrified as well wouldn’t we? It is not a common occurrence after all, and our minds would naturally flip into fear mode when something inexplicable in these circumstances happens. But the disciples were stuck in the boat, so flight, running away, was not an option. By the way, I think Jesus would have been walking in His own space on the water, with stormy mayhem around Him, but peace under His feet. 

What happened next was another example of the “fear nots” in the Bible. Jesus often had to calm the fears of His disciples, and this was one such occasion. Being around Jesus must have been an unpredictable and often unnerving experience, prompting His occasional loving responses – “Do not be afraid”.

The account of Jesus walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee is something that often catches people’s imaginations. It is a well known story, taught often in Sunday Schools, but it bears further scrutiny as to why Jesus chose to reach Capernaum that way. It was of course the most direct route, as the land-based route around the North side of the Sea was quite long.  He could have course asked another boat owner to ferry Him across the next day. But Jesus chose to do this for several reasons, one of them being that it was an important learning experience about faith for His disciples, and, consequently, for disciples ever since. 

What happened next wasn’t recorded by John, but Matthew wrote it up. “Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus” (Matthew 14:28-29). How remarkable is that? Impetuous Peter with the courage (foolhardiness?) to step out of the boat onto the rough water. With his eyes firmly fixed on Jesus he managed a few steps, but then his natural mind took over and he started to sink into the water. Jesus’ response is well know – “Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” (Matthew 14:31). John never mentioned this episode, perhaps because he was ashamed that he didn’t have the courage to follow in Peter’s steps.

I suppose we pilgrims perhaps look at this episode in a detached way, acknowledging the miracle but accepting that we don’t have the faith to follow suit with something similar. But it graphically illustrates what is possible if we have faith. We know, of course that, ” … it is impossible to please God without faith” (Hebrews 11:6a). But faith to walk on water …? Jesus taught about taking small steps of faith, as we read in Luke 17:6 “The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!“” Faith starts as small as a mustard seed, but as we exercise that faith in doing God’s work, it will lead to bigger things.

Father God. We confess before You our poverty in faith. Please forgive us, we pray, and help us to grow more and more. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Crossing the Lake

Posted on by korgrocker

“That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum.”
John 6:16-17 NLT
“Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.”
Matthew 14:22-23 NLT

There are slight differences between Matthew’s and John’s account of what happened after the miraculous feeding of five thousand men and their families. John gave us the facts, and Matthew put in a few extra details. But such differences bring the Gospels to life, because they typically provide genuine witness statements. In a court of law, different people, witnesses, will provide different perspectives of an event, building a picture for the court’s benefit.

But the next part of Jesus’ ministry was over on the Western side of the Sea (or Lake) of Galilee. He had accomplished all that His Heavenly Father had asked Him to do for the people East of the Northern part of the Sea. They had heard His message, seen miraculous signs, but it was now up to them. It is the Holy Spirit who brings a change in people’s lives, and He was soon to come to the world, after Jesus had departed on the Day of Ascension. Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me” (John 16:8-9). Those people would have made the journey back to their homes, stomachs full, minds buzzing with all they had seen and heard. Spiritually elated, they returned home to find the same hard and difficult way of life that they had had before. As we pilgrims know, after every Sunday there is always a Monday morning.

As the disciples started the journey back to Capernaum in an open boat with oars, there was nothing unusual there that they hadn’t done many times before. They were probably wondering why Jesus wasn’t going with them, but perhaps assumed He had some other business to attend to and would join them in a week or two. Jesus did have some very important business on His agenda – spending time with His Heavenly Father in prayer. And it wasn’t a short prayer at all because “night fell” while He was up in the hills on His own. In a small way I can relate to praying with a natural environment all around me. In the countryside around my home in the West of Fife, it is sometimes very quiet and deserted, especially early in the morning. God’s wonderful creation is all around and, somehow, it provides an altar before God better than any church building. I find myself worshipping God with Him all around me, bringing answers to prayer, comfort and assurance when needed, and a confirmation that in this new day, God is still on His throne. 

Jesus instructed His disciples to cross the lake. There was work to do on the other side. But I’m reminded that we pilgrims have work to do as well. Are we still on the Eastern part of our Seas, or have we heard the voice of God telling us to “cross the lake”? Life, as I have come to experience, is full of different “seasons” in God’s plan for us. I know people who are still in a church when God has told them to move on to another. We must always ask ourselves the question, in prayer, where God wants us to be, and what he wants us to do. And listening ears will hear answers that might frighten or surprise us. But with God behind a new season, excitement in the Spirit is guaranteed.

Father God. You have many plans for Your people. Please quicken our ears to hear Your voice so that we are always walking in Your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jesus the King

Posted on by korgrocker

“When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.”
John 6:14-15 NLT

What connection did that great crowd of people make between receiving a free lunch and making Jesus their King? They must have extrapolated the “miraculous sign” of feeding them and concluded that Jesus had the extraordinary capabilities needed to resolve the Roman occupation problem for good and all. There is no doubt that Jesus could have called upon the necessary resources, had they been needed. Matthew 26:53, “Don’t you realise that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?” But the people could only see a nation of Israel without the hated Romans and provided with free food forever. A Utopian state that, up to now, they could only dream of. But as we pilgrims know, particularly here in the UK, a change of government does not often add up to a change for the better. It is true that a government under the rule and reign of Jesus would be a fair and just administration, but there is a warning such as Jesus gave to the church in Thyatira, as John wrote in Revelation 2:26-27, “To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, To them I will give authority over all the nations. They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots”. And we have Psalm 45:6, “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a sceptre of justice.” Perhaps the crowd on the Galilean shore failed to see that if Jesus appointed the government of their nation, there would be a requirement for righteousness. 

But Jesus wasn’t ready or willing to fit into the people’s mould for a King. Jesus was not their warrior King in His first coming, but He certainly was for His second. The Jews would remember the song of Moses in Exodus 15. “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him— my father’s God, and I will exalt him! The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is his name!“ (Exodus 15:1-3). In their minds, the people would imagine a King able to do again what He did to the Egyptian army. The Apostle John in his revelation wrote, “Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. … From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all Lords” (Revelation 19:11,15-16).

God’s plan for the salvation of mankind was not bounded by time. Romans 5:6, “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners“. And at “just the right time” Jesus will come again, a second time, as the warrior King the Jews of His day were looking for.

Dear Lord Jesus. You, who came as a baby, born of a peasant girl in humble circumstances, will one day return to rule and reign in righteousness. The King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. We pilgrims look up and see in our spirits that white horse carrying our Lord and King. Come Lord Jesus! Amen.

Giving Thanks

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.”
John 6:11-13 NLT

Oh, to have been there that day. Watching Jesus as He miraculously took the loaves and “distributed them to the people”. The Gospel of Mark provides a little more information, “Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share” (Mark 6:41). Mark said that Jesus “kept giving” but isn’t that just like Him. He never stopped giving all the time He was here on earth, and He provided the ultimate gift by giving His life at Calvary for the sins of mankind. We worship a giving God, but we pilgrims, know that.

There are of course the theologically illiterate factions who try and minimise or deny the amazing miracle that happened that day. Some say that this was no more than people sharing their packed lunches. Others say it was just a story, and it didn’t really happen. But this account of “Feeding the Five Thousand” has gripped the imaginations of countless people over the years. The story is included in the staple diet of Sunday Schools and Children’s’ Bibles, and it appears in each of the four Gospels. I have no doubts in my own mind that this episode really happened, and the Gospel writers had no doubts either. John was present when it happened, and his almost dispassionate account has a ring of authenticity about it, as though he expected it to happen anyway.

Notice that John recorded that the people ate as much as they wanted and there were leftovers. In fact, there were twelve baskets full of bits of bread and the odd fish head or tail. For many that day, it was probably the first time that they had had full stomachs for a while. God is never stingy in His provision. He always has more in His storehouse for those who wish to be filled. 

But we pilgrims must never be guilty of taking God’s provision for granted. It is not just about having a full stomach, good though that is. It is about thanking God for the basics of life. Thanking Him for the air we breathe, the water we drink, and, of course, the food we eat. We thank Him for the natural things we need for life. But we also thank Him for the relationship we have with Him. Thanking Him for His love, His kindness, His Holy Spirit, the forgiveness of our sins, the righteousness we have through Jesus, and all the other benefits that come our way because we are His children. Matthew 7:11, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him”. 

Heavenly Father, we know that You never stop giving good gifts to Your children. And we know that there are even more available, just for the asking. How can we ever thank You enough? Amen.