Looking to heaven

Matthew 14: 15-21

   Gaining a fact from the book of John, we know that Jesus walked from the shore of the lake, called the Sea of Galilee, to a mountain, and then walked up the mountain to a “mountainside” area.  Though we do not know how far He walked, we know from a detail given by Matthew, Mark, and Luke that the place was “remote.”  And we know people, thousands of men, women, and children, followed Him.

   I find it interesting that all but Luke mention there was grass there.  Mark specifically states the grass was green.  There in such an arid region, green grass was probably rare.

   And then, Jesus fed numerous people by supernaturally multiplying five loaves of bread and two small fish.  It was a miracle.

   Before performing the miracle to feed many people, Jesus looked to heaven and gave thanks.

   Because of all Jesus has done for us, we can look to heaven and give thanks.

   Once I read a piece by a famous theologian, and the man made the statement that heaven is not mentioned many times in the Bible.  In my reading of Scripture in the following weeks, I started noticing the word “heaven” frequently.  The word “heaven” was ‘jumping out at me.’  And I became aware that in many of the parables, Jesus began the parable stating: “The kingdom of heaven is like….”

   We followers of Jesus need to emulate Jesus, including keeping a daily focus on heaven, and including giving daily thanks to Jesus, the One who loves us.

Hunter Irvine

Jesus persevered with His mission

Matthew 14: 13-14   When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.  Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.  When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick (NIV).

   It is a rare day when I write a second time about the same passage.  Yet in my last piece I focused on what the people did.  Here I want to elaborate on what Jesus did.

   This action took place before Jesus fed thousands of people with only five loaves of bread and two fish, which was an event recorded by all four “gospel” writers.  (And Jesus would do such a miracle a second time.)

   2000 years ago, the writing resources of papyri, or velum, was limited.  Writing had to be “economical,” thus authors were more select on the details they gave.  Since some of the “gospel” authors gave additional details, we get a fuller picture of this event by reading all four accounts.

   Bethsaida was the solitary place Jesus sailed to, which we learn from Luke.  We also learn from Mark and Luke that when Jesus traveled on the lake (called the Sea of Galilee) seeking solitude, the twelve apostles joined Him.  Jesus expressed to the Twelve His desire for them to rest: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31).

   I find it interesting Matthew does not give this detail.  I think Matthew was trying to emphasize that Jesus wanted to mourn the death of John the Baptist when simply stating that He sought solitude.

   But the plans of Jesus were interrupted.  Probably over ten thousand people pursued Jesus.  Mark gives the detail that many “ran” (6:33), and many even arrived at the landing point before Jesus and the disciples.

   Even though the objective to get some rest, and to provide some rest for His apostles, was interrupted, Jesus persevered with His mission.

   Having engaged in a detailed study of Matthew ever since October of 2020, I have pondered and written about the mission of Jesus which Matthew clearly stated twice:

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23).

“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” (Matthew 9:35).

   In spite of the interruption, there on the shore of a lake, His mission continued.

   As recorded by Matthew: “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (14:14).

   As recorded by Mark: “…So he began teaching them many things” (6:34).

   As recorded by the doctor Luke: “…[Jesus] welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing” (9:11).

   Note that John skips what happened when the boat docked, and proceeds to Jesus walking up a mountainside to a remote area in that region.

   And we know of His ultimate perseverance as Jesus persevered with His ultimate mission of being the atonement for sins.

   Learning of the perseverance of Jesus, be encouraged to keep doing, or to start doing, what Jesus has commanded us to do: Preach the Gospel; baptize believers; and teach people about the revelations of God, teachings, which when applied, will bring healing for a person’s heart.

Hunter Irvine

Keep following Jesus

Matthew 14: 13-14   When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.  Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.  When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick (NIV).

   Please close your eyes for a short bit and attempt to imagine people running and walking swiftly along the shore of a big lake to get to Jesus.

   The reason Jesus set off in a boat on a lake to a remote location: Having been told about the murder of John the Baptist by the king, Jesus sought solitude.

   Before this, Jesus had been doing much ministry work.  Recorded in the 13th chapter of Matthew, Jesus gave some short sermons involving parables.  The first was given from a boat to a group of people who stood on the shore.  Then His disciples got a big follow up explanation after the sermon.  Then Jesus told more parables to people, and then there were more explanations to His disciples.

   These parables involved telling about heaven.  “The kingdom of heaven is like….” is the beginning of parables recorded in Matthew 13:24, and 13:31, and 13:33, and 13:44, and 13:45, and 13:47.  Heaven is the focus of these parables of Jesus.

   Yet hell is also revealed, as Jesus speaks of the “fiery furnace” in Matthew 13:42 and 13:49-50.

   Then after much preaching using parables, Jesus went to His hometown and taught in the synagogue there, but He “offended” many people (verse 57).  Then came the big tragedy of the murder of John the Baptist.

   Though Jesus had revealed the subject of hell, and though the political climate was spooky after the murder of John the Baptist, crowds of people ran after Jesus in the countryside.  In the midst of strife, thousands of people chased after Jesus!

   And Jesus, rather than taking off in His boat and going somewhere else to get the solitude He was seeking, went ashore and healed more sick people.  Why?  Scripture states Jesus had “compassion” on them.

   This passage speaks to me today after I have had such an “up and down” time this year.  I have had some big blessings, and I have had some disappointments.  Being unemployed, there have been days when I was optimistic that a great job was going to be given to me at any moment, and then there have been even more days when I considered I may never get a ministry job.

   This passage, in the context of all that went on in Chapter 13, has a message for us: Keep focused on Jesus during up and down circumstances.  And keep doing what He did in Chapter 13: Preach heaven with a passion, with your lips and your lives.  Keep focused on Jesus, whatever the nature of the political situation where you live.  And even though physical death continues daily in this world, keep trusting Jesus, the One who overcame death.

May you have a great day!

Hunter Irvine