I most know I am a Christian when God asks me to do something and my first reaction is negative. If the thought of serving others comes to mind and I’m all for it, I know that thought is my own, but if it causes conflict inside me, then I know that my “flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another.”
It happened this morning, first thing. My radio alarm is on a Christian station. When it ‘rang’ the station was playing a commercial for Compassion Canada. I tried to yawn really hard so I wouldn’t hear it. That was my second clue, at least. I keep seeing needy people on television or in the newspapers and the Spirit tugs at me, but like many people, I think about something else.
He would not let me this morning, even with all my excuses. Today’s reading is from Matthew 14. Jesus just heard about the beheading of his cousin, John the Baptist. He left the place where He was and went alone into a deserted place, no doubt to pray about this awful event and feel the sorrow of it.
But the crowds wouldn’t leave Him alone. Opportunities to serve needy people are seldom convenient. “They followed Him on foot from the cities.”
“And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.” There is that word again. One of my excuses is that in the realm of spiritual gifts, I always test low on compassion. Why use a gift that I don’t have much of?
However, when Jesus is moved with compassion, because of our identity with Him and our relationship with Him, His people feel His emotions. “When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”
Even though there was a tinge of a selfish 'enough, already' in their request, they did think about the needs of the crowd gathered before them. The conflict between flesh and Spirit was evident, flesh wanted a break, Spirit wanted the people’s needs met.
“But Jesus said to them, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’”
Wham! Don’t listen to the flesh. They did anyway, protesting they only had five loaves and two fish. Of course, in the hands of Jesus, that was enough, but they first had to give it, and they did, and most of us know what happened next.
Before I started to write this morning, and as soon as I noted that this was the verse I must read, I was also saying, ‘Enough, already,’ but in a different sense. The Spirit is talking to me and regardless of my excuses and reluctance, while I don’t know what will happen next, I do know what He wants me to do.
1 comment:
"You give them something." Maybe the response was due as much to the overwhelming impossibility of what the Lord asked. They hadn't seen such a thing at that point - no point of reference.
In the same position, most of us would have responded the same way. "I can't". Sometimes to act, we must believe in the impossible.
Thanks for the thought-provoking blog.
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