Trust in Jesus the Saviour

Matthew 8:23-27; 9:1-13

Sometimes the storms in our lives appear without warning. Jesus was in the boat with his disciples sleeping when 'without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat' (8:24).

Presumably the disciples were used to storms on the Sea of Galilee; it was renowned for sudden flash storms, stirring the water into twenty-foot waves. However, this storm must have been a particularly serious one because the disciples woke Jesus up and said, 'We're going to drown!' (v25).

During the storms of life, it is natural to panic (certainly, I tend to). Sometimes it appears that Jesus is 'sleeping' (v24). He does not appear to be doing anything about our problems. Thankfully, we can all cry out, as they did, 'Lord, save us!' (v25).

The natural response to the storms is doubt and fear. Jesus tells us that the response to storms should be trust ('You of little faith', v26a) and that you should not be afraid ('Why are you so afraid?', v26a). Jesus is quite capable of calming the storm and that is exactly what he did. Even in the midst of a storm such as global pandemic or the cost of living crisis (Choose Faith over Fair).

Having shown his authority over the elements ('Even the wends and waves obey him!', v27), he goes on to demonstrate his authority over evil powers by freeing the two demon-possessed men (vv.28-34). Jesus was far more concerned about people than possessions unlike those who pleaded with him to leave their region (v.34).

Jesus goes on to make the point that forgiveness is more important than healing. But healing is not unimportant. Jesus does both. He shows his power over sickness and disability by healing a paralyzed (9:1-2). 'The crowd was awestruck, amazed, and pleased that God had authorized Jesus to work among them this way!' (v.8, MSG).

In the midst of the storms there are moments of calm. Today's passage ends with such a moment as Jesus calls Matthew to follow him. Jesus is invited to dinner at Matthew's house.

The Pharisees are surprised to see Jesus eating with 'a lot of disreputable characters' (v.10, MSG) and say 'What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riffraff?' (v.11, MSG).

'Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what the scripture means: I'm mercy, not religion. I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders."' (vv.12-13, MSG).

Breadbasket

You know that old joke, “I know what to make for dinner: reservations? Having someone else make the food, serve the food, and clean up after is an absolute dream.

Many of the restaurants we go to serve a little appetizer, maybe chips and salsa or a basket of bread with dipping items. One of my favorite one has bread dipped with garlic butter. Or sometimes biscuits with butter and jelly or cornbread with honey. They fill the breadbasket free as many times as you want it. For Free!

Therein lies the problem, not the carbs, but the meal is still yet to come.

By the time the delicious dinner arrives, we are already full. We stick our forks in our entrees and take a few bites, but the food doesn’t taste as good as we remember. The bread had seemed like a treat at the time, but because we ate too much of it, we have no room left for the nourishing part of the meal.

This happens in our spiritual lives too. We fill ourselves up on TV, movies, books , social media, scrolling through our phones, using up our time and even our daily dose of concentration. By the time we turn our attention on God’s Word, well we are stuffed! Instead of having a little of the bread and a lot of the meal, we ate the whole basket of garlic rolls and there is no room left for the dinner!

So Go Ahead. Choose one biscuit, one TV show, something interesting on the internet or phone, or a few chapters of a good book. But be sure to save room for the main course every day (Psalms119:103). I’m trying to consume less of the pre-meal entertainment so that I’ll still be hungry for the Word of God (Matthew 4:4).

Proverbs 27:7 states, “A person who is full refuses honey”.

Take Your Thoughts Captive

Not every thought in your head deserves your agreement and attention. If a thought doesn't line up with God's Word, doesn't reflect your worth as His Child, and doesn't lead you toward life and peace, it's not meant to stay. You win by renewing your mind. Transformation doesn't start with behavior, it starts with belief. Get in the Word until truth becomes your default. Guard what you think about. Choose who you listen to. Speak life over yourself and into others. When your thoughts change, your direction changes. And when your mind aligns with God, everything else begins to follow.