Matthew 14 - Thursday 22nd August
Today’s chapter is Matthew 14
Tom writes:
Herod was King of the Sadducees - the landed gentry of Israel who claimed that their rule was the fulfilment of God’s promises in the Old Testament. They frollocked at parties, swapped wives and ate food off silver platters. They were right proper poshies. But - like many posh people today - their whole lives were governed by fear; fear of the people, fear of their guests, fear of their wives. Their value came from what others thought of them and they spent their lives running after the approval of men. Compare that to Jesus - the real Promise-fulfiller. His life is not governed by fear. His actions aren’t fickle and fleeting to fit the fancy of his fellows. No. Jesus is driven by one major emotion - Sweet Lady Compassion. That truth deserves dwelling on in silence for 20 seconds. Jesus - our God - is driven by compassion. When people seek Jesus he can’t help but show them compassion. The crowds gather round him and he can’t help but heal their sick. The crowds hang around him all day and he can’t help but feed them. The disciples get scared and he can’t help but comfort them.
Peter wants to try something impossible for humans and Jesus can’t help but encourage him and lift him up when he fails. When we look at this chapter we often focus on the implication of Jesus’ miracles - Jesus surpasses Herod, surpasses Elijah, surpasses Moses as The One From God. That is correct. But, let’s not lose sight of Jesus’ compassion. It is his inclination towards compassion that makes his Kingdom so stunning. In 25 years of following Jesus I’m sad about how rarely I have actually expected to experience Jesus’ compassion. Forgiveness? Maybe. Marching orders, yes. But, if I’m honest, I’ve often related to Jesus as if he was a King like Herod. Or - even worse - I’ve thought of him just as a bland bystander in my life. But Jesus is not like Herod. Jesus is not just a passive viewer. Jesus is relentlessly compassionate towards those who are seeking him. Jesus does miracles for people who are seeking him even if they are dumb, bad at planning or are biting off a bit more than they can chew. And that makes me love Jesus. That makes me want to be really super attentive towards Jesus. It makes me want to try crazy things for him and to expect him to do crazy things through me. Jesus is Compassion. And so what have I got to lose?
Question for reflection
If you knew Jesus would do any miracle for you, what impossible thing would you try for him?
