The suddenlies of life!

At the end of Matthew 13 Jesus had just been rejected in his hometown and to cap it all by members of his own family! His own mother had seen him turn water into wine. He had astonished those in the temple with the wisdom of his teaching. He had healed the sick and performed many miracles, yet here he was among his own people announcing to them that ‘a prophet is honoured everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.’

‘Is not this the carpenter’s Son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

And do not all His sisters live here among us? Where then did this Man get all this?

And they took offense at Him [they were repelled and hindered from acknowledging His authority and caused to stumble].’ Matthew 13:55-57

This was so significant that scripture records, ‘He didn’t do many miracles there because of their hostile indifference.’ Matthew 13:58

Wow! Unbelief shuts the door on the anointing; it stops the flow of the Holy Spirit moving!

Have you ever had a bad day, thinking it couldn’t get any worse? I know I have had so many of those days over the years! Fresh from that encounter, Jesus was told of the death of John the Baptist. His death was the result of a rash promise made at a party to a young girl whose dancing had pleased the king. He so liked her dancing that he said she could have anything that she wanted. Her request was: ‘I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!’

It was only as she spoke those words that the king had regret. He didn’t want to lose face in front of his guests, so he gave the order to execute John!

John was Jesus’s cousin. It would seem that the Holy Spirit hadn’t forewarned Jesus, as when he heard the news, he got into a boat to go to a remote place to be alone to pray, grieve, and process what had just happened.

Crowds had heard where Jesus was going and followed on foot. As soon as He stepped out of the boat, He saw a huge crowd, the last thing you want to see when tragedy strikes!

I think that day, Jesus wanted to be alone with His father to pray and grieve John’s death and the manner of it! Instead, ‘Jesus saw a huge crowd when he stepped out of the boat, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.’ Matthew 14:14

Many years ago, I had sold my home and was waiting to move into another place. We had bought a building for our church, and it seemed like we would have to live on the premises of the church whilst waiting. Friends in the church had a large house and invited us to live with them until the house was ready to occupy. The morning of the move, the husband phoned me and we had a conversation. Later that morning another friend called me to say that our friend had been killed in a road accident. Initially, my brain wasn’t computing what she was saying, I found myself saying, ‘but I’ve not long spoken to him.’ I couldn’t get my head round it! The day started so well, till tragedy hit.

My problem was insignificant in the light of this. Far worse of course for his wife who hadn’t realise he’d left the house until the police were knocking on her door. No one had any prior knowledge that this was going to happen. It shook our church, instead of having a celebration of a new building, our first meeting was a celebration of the life of a man who had been promoted to heaven!

Sometimes we have unexpected things happen, the suddenlies of life! An unexpected death, a bad report from the doctors, betrayal by a spouse or friend, a nightmare situation, where there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel! It completely knocks the wind out of your sails, the kind of devastating news that makes you want to hide, be alone and try to process what’s playing out right in front of you.

‘And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.’ Romans 8:28

It is often so very hard to see how good can come out of tragedy when you’re right in the middle of it!’ But God is faithful to His word. So many times, in my own life I have experienced the goodness of God coming on the back of what I had thought to be an impossible situation!

Jesus was grieving and, in his sadness, God turned it to compassion. Jesus healed all their sick!

There will be moments in our lives when we feel that our world is crumbling around us. In

the midst of that pain the Holy Spirit may want to use us to help someone else. To give encouragement when we have none, to release healing or hope. In those moments of our greatest weakness, He gives us strength, so that the Holy Spirit can flow through us!

Is our pain important to God? Do our tears matter?

‘Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So, let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.’ Hebrews 4:15-16

‘You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.’ Psalm 56:8

I know that out of some of my greatest’s sadnesses, and difficulties have come some of my greatest’s testimonies to God’s goodness!

Jesus said, ‘ I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]’ John 16:33

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t weep, grieve, or feel sadness and disappointment. Jesus wept over Jerusalem and wept over Lazarus! But, if we keep our hearts soft towards Him, we can triumph over all the works of the enemy, allowing greater victory and light to shine over the kingdom of darkness!

Taking back lost ground, helping others to overcome despite the pain!

As Jesus allowed compassion to flow through him during that day, 5,000 men plus women and children were physically and spiritually fed.

It was only after all the healings, teachings and miraculous feeding of that huge crowd with only five loaves and two fishes, that Jesus told the disciple to get in the boat and cross the lake. Jesus, then went up into the hills by himself to pray.

I imagine him pouring out his heart and soul to his father, then allowing himself to be comforted and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. So much so, that Jesus walked on the water to meet up with the disciples in the middle of a storm that was dangerous to them. Seeing Jesus walking on the water in that storm gave Peter the faith and courage to get out of the boat and walk on the water in that storm to the sound of Jesus’s voice.

The moment Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink, yet even in that instance Jesus put out his hand and rescued him! Whatever our storm is, if we keep our eyes on Jesus, we can walk successfully through it. Even in those moments we faith departs we can call on his name and he lifts us up and puts back in the boat with an assurance in our hearts, that because He lives we can face tomorrow and all that tomorrow may bring!

Behold Him as He beholds us!