Compassion and Miracles

Pastor Gary Stebbins, Church in the Rock - Melbourne

I find myself again reading in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) where much insight can be gained by looking at the life of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 14 we find the story of Jesus feeding five thousand men and women with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fishes. Jesus had been teaching a large number of people on a hillside. As the day grew later the disciples suggested to Jesus that it was time to send the people home because there was no food to feed them.

Jesus response was so characteristic of who He is. He said, “They do not need to go away.” Jesus is not into sending people away. Earlier in this passage it says that Jesus “felt compassion for them and healed their sick.” Jesus’ heart was and is to minister to people the life and love of God. It says that the place they were in was a “desolate place.” Many people today are in a desolate place and need a mighty touch from the God that has great compassion for them. His instructions to the disciples were, “You give them something to eat.” I believe Jesus’ desire is still what it was 2000 years ago, to minister to people through His disciples and followers.

In response to the disciples request to send the people away, Jesus instead has them sit down. He takes the few loaves and fishes that they have and, “looking up toward heaven,” He blessed the food and fed all 5000. The picture we see is Jesus looking up towards heaven in a physical sense and asking the Father to bless their meal. This was an outward picture of what Jesus had already done inwardly. I believe He had “looked up” toward His heavenly Father in the quietness of His own heart. Jesus never did anything He did not hear or see His Father doing. Out of His relationship with the Father, He knew it was the Father’s heart to minister to the people and to feed them. This was not an instantaneous decision that Jesus made. He had spent many hours praying and seeking the heart of the Father. Out of this relationship with the Father He was prepared for this moment. With eyes of faith He could see the Father feeding 5000 people.

As disciples of Jesus ourselves, we must learn to “look up toward heaven.” Not just as a physical act, but as a daily discipline, taking time to read and reflect on God’s Word, to pray, and to communicate with God regularly. Not just petitioning God, but spending time in His presence, becoming familiar with His heart.

Later on in this passage of scripture, after the people are fed and the disciples are sent away, Jesus “went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.” He had found the importance of spending time in the presence of the Father. It is in this place of “presence” that He developed the Father’s compassion for people and it is coming out of this place that He was able to minister God’s life to people.

What took place on that mountain side 2000 years ago was indeed a miracle in one sense. In another sense, it came out of a place of relationship with God, one developed by spending hours with Him “up on the mountain” praying. Many today live in a barren and desolate place and greatly need a touch from God. God is looking to empower those who will invest their lives in getting to know Him.

How about you?

Have you been to the mountain recently?

Do you “look up toward heaven” regularly?

The Father is waiting for us to come to Him so He can send us out into the world to be a witness and testimony of His incredible love.

Have you taken time to allow God to deposit in you His heart of compassion for people?

Looking Toward Heaven

Pastor Gary Stebbins, COTRM- April 15, 2010

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Jesus set out to find some time alone and went off by Himself in a small boat. However people were desperate for a touch from heaven and by the time Jesus arrived at His destination, a great crowd had already assembled. In Matthew 14:14 it says that Jesus “felt compassion for them and healed their sick.”

As the day wore on and evening approached, the disciples, obviously tired from a long day, suggested that Jesus send everybody home. “After all,” they reasoned, “ … this place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves (Mtt 14:15)." Sounds like a reasonable and even responsible thing to do. However, Jesus had other plans. Jesus suggested that the people did not need to go away, and furthermore, He asked the disciples to feed them. “What,” I am sure they must have exclaimed, “We only have five small loaves of bread and two fish, how can we possibly feed a crowd so large?”

Jesus did something very interesting at this point. He took the bread and the fish and, “looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, and they all ate and were satisfied (Mtt 14:19-20).” I found this very interesting when I read it. There was not enough food to feed the over 5000 people who had gathered, and yet Jesus calmly, “looking up toward heaven” offered them the bread and fish that they had.

How could Jesus feed five over 5000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish? Immediately following this miracle, Jesus, “went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone (Mtt 14:23).” It was Jesus pattern to regularly get away and spend time in the presence of God the Father and pray. His constant communion with the Father enabled Him to minister to the people. During these times of drawing away from the crowds to be with His heavenly Father, Jesus became increasing aware of the Father’s heart. As a result, in His moment of need, all Jesus had to do was “look up toward heaven” to reassure Himself of God’s purpose and plan for Him at that very moment in time.

It is obvious that prayer and spending time alone in the presence of God was important to Jesus, as it should be for us today as well. Looking back at the beginning of this passage of scripture, there is another benefit of spending regular, consistent, time with God. When Jesus first saw the crowd that had gathered it says that Jesus “felt compassion for them and healed their sick.” When Jesus looked toward heaven, He was not just feeling sorry for the people because they were hungry. Through spending time in prayer He had acquired the heart of the Father for the people around Him. His heart was filled with the compassion of God for the people. Therefore, even after a long day of ministry, Jesus was willing to take time and demonstrate the reality of the Father’s compassion by asking God to feed the people. In faith, without any outward sign, Jesus thanked God for the provision to feed over 5000 people.

Today we want to be able to work the same miracles that Jesus worked, but are we ready to spend the time in communion and prayer with the Father that Jesus spent?

I think we are!

How often do you pause to “look toward heaven?” Do you regularly spend time with God alone? How about gathering together with other believers to pray and worship God?