Matthew 15:32-39
But Jesus wasn’t finished with
them. He called his disciples and said, “I hurt for these people. For
three days now they’ve been with me, and now they have nothing to eat. I
can’t send them away without a meal—they’d probably collapse on the
road.”
His disciples said, “But where in this deserted place are you going to dig up enough food for a meal?”
Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”
“Seven
loaves,” they said, “plus a few fish.” At that, Jesus directed the
people to sit down. He took the seven loaves and the fish. After giving
thanks, he divided it up and gave it to the people. Everyone ate. They
had all they wanted. It took seven large baskets to collect the
leftovers. Over four thousand people ate their fill at that meal. After
Jesus sent them away, he climbed in the boat and crossed over to the
Magadan hills.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
After
the Arkansas Razorbacks defeated Alcorn State on October 1st, Coach
Bret Bielema settled in to revel in the victory with his wife, Jen. The
relaxation and celebration were short-lived. While dining out, the
Bielemas received a call from Marty Ragnow, mother of Frank Ragnow, an
offensive lineman for the Razorbacks. Frank Ragnow’s 50-year-old
father, Jon, had suffered a heart attack and died…and Marty wanted Coach
Bielema to be with Frank when she delivered the news.
Bret
Bielema found Frank Ragnow and sat with him as he took the devastating
call from his mother. And then Bret and Jen Bielema arranged for a
flight to Minnesota for Frank Ragnow to return to his family – and they
went along. The Bielemas did not have to do this. Surely they had
other things on their agenda. But Bret Bielema understood how important
this was…because teammates had crammed into a van to accompany him home
from Iowa when his sister, Betsy, died. Bret Bielema had subsequently
traveled with other players to the homes of their grieving families when
tragedy struck. While this might seem like “more than enough”…Bielema
knows that it is simply the right thing to do.
There is a lesson
here for us as Christians. When is it “more than enough”…and what does
this really mean? Jesus knew that the people who had followed Him were
not just hungry – they were famished. They had gone without food for
three days. So Jesus did what He could…He took the seven loaves and a
few fish, gave thanks to God, and started to feed the people. And in
the end, there was more than enough food for everyone.
Didn't
Jesus do the math? Why didn’t the rations come out exactly even? After
all, we’re talking about the Son of GOD here! To me, there are two
points to this “excess.” 1)God is showing us that He can do abundantly
and exceedingly above all that we ask for or anticipate; and 2)Jesus
seems to be demonstrating that we should go the extra mile…do all we can
and trust God BIG for miracles and blessings – so big that we end up
with more than enough. We should go above and beyond and over the top -
and never offer just what is “adequate.”
It would have been
“adequate” for Bret Bielema to sit with Frank Ragnow, hug his neck, and
maybe arrange for a flight home. But not only did Bret Bielema do more
by physically traveling to Minnesota with this young man…his wife, Jen,
went along, too! How often do we drop what we are doing to meet the needs of someone else?
Surely
Jesus was tired that day at Lake Galilee. I have no doubt that He was
weary from teaching, healing and traveling. But Jesus stopped to show
love and concern for His people and their profound hunger…and then He
FED them!
Are we feeding the people in our midst? Are we ready
and willing to drop everything and minister to someone else? Will we
faithfully look in the basket of seven loaves and a few fish and believe
that we can meet the needs of more than 4000 people – and have “more
than enough” left over?
Will we serve God above and beyond our
ability and what seems to be the obvious disconnect – and deliver “more
than enough?” Don’t you think we should?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label willing to sacrifice for Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label willing to sacrifice for Jesus. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for May 4, 2016
Luke 14:33
“Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
“God has other plans.” This is the phrase my mother uttered over and again, particularly in her last days. I’ll be honest…as I have gone through things at my Mother’s house - and even sorted and “purged” my own closets and drawers – I’ve wondered…”What was the significance of this item? Why was it saved and/or treasured?” Over the years, I have wondered what brings certain people together. The old saying that “opposites attract” seems to apply to many friendships and relationships where people on the fringe scratch their heads and wonder, “What does this person see in that one?” And yet, the relationships are strong – and important to those involved.
So when it comes time to part with some of our prized possessions…or a “breakup” or “death” of some sort occurs between people or relationships (even a job or a move of some kind)…we are often left devastated. We have attached so much personal significance to these things or people that we cannot imagine a life in which we could function without them. And yet…this is exactly what Jesus calls us to do.
Understand that Jesus says you must be willing to give up what is dearest to you. He doesn’t say you will be required to do so. You may never be asked to sacrifice belongings or people in order to serve Jesus. But you must be ready and willing to do so, all the same. This is what separates us and signifies that we are Christ’s disciples…our willingness to forego everything and trust Him to make everything alright.
So if I am truly a disciple of Christ, I have to be able to say, “It’s okay that my parents and other loved ones are no longer alive on this earth. I trust Jesus to fill in the gaps and comfort me.” When God tells me that an association or relationship is toxic and I need to detach from the other parties, I have to trust that He will deal with these persons according to His will…and bring new relationships to fill my life and give me joy. When I hear God saying, “You don’t need another pair of shoes…but a foster child in your town needs clothes,” I know that I must give up satisfying my selfish desire (and cluttering my closet) in favor of meeting someone else’s true need.
My mother had plans to travel…spend time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, friends and family members…write books and visit her beloved Branson “family”…nurture others, and more. She had stacks of books she was reading or planned to read. She planted tulip bulbs in the fall and anticipated their blooms in the spring. She wrote of picking up her apron next Thanksgiving Day and cooking a family dinner once again. And God had other plans.
In this case, my mother could do little to change the fact that God was calling her to heaven…but she had a choice about how to react. She could have gone kicking, screaming and complaining. She could have told everyone how bitter and angry she was and encouraged us to be mad at God. Instead, she smiled over and over and said, “God has other plans.” She encouraged us to stay faithful…to trust that God’s will is perfect…to accept that everything on this earth is temporary – both physical possessions and the people we know and love.
This is a daunting question…”Who and what would you be willing to sacrifice for Jesus?” When we think about what Jesus sacrificed for us, this seems like a rather silly query. When we consider what Jesus offers us in exchange for our “surrender,” it seems even more absurd. So today, I suggest that we all spend some time thinking about our discipleship…our relationship to the One who has given us everything, including the promise of Eternal Life…and ask, “what – and who – are we willing to give up for Jesus?” If/when God has other plans, are we ready to smile and accept them? Isn’t it time we were?
©2016 Debbie Robus
“Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
“God has other plans.” This is the phrase my mother uttered over and again, particularly in her last days. I’ll be honest…as I have gone through things at my Mother’s house - and even sorted and “purged” my own closets and drawers – I’ve wondered…”What was the significance of this item? Why was it saved and/or treasured?” Over the years, I have wondered what brings certain people together. The old saying that “opposites attract” seems to apply to many friendships and relationships where people on the fringe scratch their heads and wonder, “What does this person see in that one?” And yet, the relationships are strong – and important to those involved.
So when it comes time to part with some of our prized possessions…or a “breakup” or “death” of some sort occurs between people or relationships (even a job or a move of some kind)…we are often left devastated. We have attached so much personal significance to these things or people that we cannot imagine a life in which we could function without them. And yet…this is exactly what Jesus calls us to do.
Understand that Jesus says you must be willing to give up what is dearest to you. He doesn’t say you will be required to do so. You may never be asked to sacrifice belongings or people in order to serve Jesus. But you must be ready and willing to do so, all the same. This is what separates us and signifies that we are Christ’s disciples…our willingness to forego everything and trust Him to make everything alright.
So if I am truly a disciple of Christ, I have to be able to say, “It’s okay that my parents and other loved ones are no longer alive on this earth. I trust Jesus to fill in the gaps and comfort me.” When God tells me that an association or relationship is toxic and I need to detach from the other parties, I have to trust that He will deal with these persons according to His will…and bring new relationships to fill my life and give me joy. When I hear God saying, “You don’t need another pair of shoes…but a foster child in your town needs clothes,” I know that I must give up satisfying my selfish desire (and cluttering my closet) in favor of meeting someone else’s true need.
My mother had plans to travel…spend time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, friends and family members…write books and visit her beloved Branson “family”…nurture others, and more. She had stacks of books she was reading or planned to read. She planted tulip bulbs in the fall and anticipated their blooms in the spring. She wrote of picking up her apron next Thanksgiving Day and cooking a family dinner once again. And God had other plans.
In this case, my mother could do little to change the fact that God was calling her to heaven…but she had a choice about how to react. She could have gone kicking, screaming and complaining. She could have told everyone how bitter and angry she was and encouraged us to be mad at God. Instead, she smiled over and over and said, “God has other plans.” She encouraged us to stay faithful…to trust that God’s will is perfect…to accept that everything on this earth is temporary – both physical possessions and the people we know and love.
This is a daunting question…”Who and what would you be willing to sacrifice for Jesus?” When we think about what Jesus sacrificed for us, this seems like a rather silly query. When we consider what Jesus offers us in exchange for our “surrender,” it seems even more absurd. So today, I suggest that we all spend some time thinking about our discipleship…our relationship to the One who has given us everything, including the promise of Eternal Life…and ask, “what – and who – are we willing to give up for Jesus?” If/when God has other plans, are we ready to smile and accept them? Isn’t it time we were?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)