After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.

I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

John 9:1-12

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

General Observations

Jesus healed this man born blind through the application of spittle and earth, sending him away to a pool, and then melted into the crowd. Of course the mud did not perform the healing, for it was simply a vehicle the Lord chose to perform His mighty work.

The man born blind did not see his Healer when he received his sight. He was on his own, doing as he was told, finding the pool of Siloam and washing his face. In this act of obedience, we must consider this to be the blind man’s exhibition of faith in his healer’s commands. This is extraordinary, though the Messiah’s fame had certainly passed through the city, for the man born blind to believe, would push the envelope of Jesus power to an unheard of result.

No man born blind had ever been healed in the Old Testament! There had been resurrections, as in the days of Elisha, but for a man born blind to receive his sight – that was unheard of!

Questions to Consider

Who were the audience?

During the actual healing, the ones witnessing this healing were the crowds at the pool of Siloam. They most likely had no context of the Lord’s interaction with the blind man, and this produced the questioning and random comments that became the fodder for future discussions, eventually landing on a ridiculous controversy over working on the Sabbath. Although we will not enter into that controversy in this post, those who are curious may visit Jesus on the Sabbath – Part 11 – An Interrogation

When did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See https://www.bibletimelines.net/timelines/jesus-ministry

Where did the Lord perform this mighty work?

The pool of Siloam is an interesting site, and due to construction work on a large water pipe south of the temple mount, was discovered only 20 years ago. The size of this pool was over 200 ft. long and many think it may have served as a ceremonial mikveh, that is a pool for ritual cleansing. It’s history is found in King Hezekiah’s construction of it in preparation for future sieges, and that it was fed by the Gihon Spring.

See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction for downloadable reference file.

Why did the Lord perform this mighty work?

Jesus is the Light of the World. He performed this miracle to exhibit His personhood for all to see. Of course the blind man received his sight as an aside, a man who had been born blind, but this benefit for the blind man would be temporary, for he also would succumb to the ravages of death. But the miracle of giving sight to a man born blind has lived on, and shall always witness to the person of Christ.

What was the message for the original audience?

Jesus is God. He has been informing the masses, and the Jewish leadership through His teaching and His miracles, and the very miracle He performs with the healing of a man born blind speaks volumes.

Throughout the Old Testament, never had a man that had been born blind received his sight. Some that had been blinded recovered their sight, as in the days of Elisha. This is true, but a man who had never experienced vision given sight? That was beyond the pale!

The message? Jesus is the Light of the world. If you cannot see light, you are blind. No shame in this, for it is a simple statement of fact. But if a person states he sees, and does not understand that Jesus is the Messiah, that He is the One to whom we need to look to, that person remains blind, and lives in denial.

The message? Jesus is the Light of the world. He did not say He is a light of the world, implying one of many lights available. He is the Light of the world, with all other “sources of light” becoming less than visible. The many other “sources of light” are actually sources of darkness, sources of distraction and/or sources of destruction.

One Light is provided, and one Light is all that is needed. One Light that was extinguished so that we could be given the privilege to see.

What is the message for us today?

For believers today, the message is simple. Jesus is the Light of the World. It is the same old message, that thankfully does not change, though some who claim to be “lights” state otherwise. Yes there are many nowadays, so called “experts” making high faluting claims of their ability to give guidance, to provide direction for our lives, to even enforce moral codes or ethics upon the masses for the greater good.

My brother and sister – If your eyes are open to the Light, follow Him. Test all other “lights” by the True and Faithful light, for some “lights” may reflect Him, although weakly and faltingly. He is the True Light, and the source of Light that gives us wisdom, strength and power to live lives according to truth. He is the True Light, providing us marvelous light, a light that is brilliant, beyond our comprehension, and ever shining.

1Pet. 2:9 ¶ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

To those who may still struggle with Jesus’ claims of Messiah, of being God in the flesh, of being the only way to the Father, of being the true Light of the world. To those who may still have their eyes closed, I have one plea.

Do not continue to actively reject the Light. Ignoring the Light is not an option. A decision has to be made, and ignoring a light, does not extinguish that light.

Deal with His claim! He has claimed the sole position of being the Light, the true illuminance of the Living God. He is the Light, and as such nothing will be hid from Him. Sin will be exposed. Rebellion, lies, theft, sexual unfaithfulness will be uncovered for all to see.

Admit your sin, your blindness, your stubbornness to the One who can cleanse you and give sight. Admit it now, while you have the freedom to agree of your own free will. There will come a time when the truth will be forced upon you, and at that time, the multiple benefits of seeing the Light will be extinguished.

Trust Him, by agreeing with Him, admitting your sin, and begin to learn of Him, for He is worthy, He is good, and He is alive.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

Come join us at Considering the Bible

After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.

I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

Mark 8:22-26

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

General Observations

Let’s take a few moments and consider the context of this miracle, some of the history that has transpired in the life of the Lord and His disciples. Consider the table I refer to below for this post, to provide the chronology. Notice the healing and activity near Bethsaida, and of course notice the dual feedings of the masses. Some Bible scholars place a month of two between the feedings, and it seems from the disciples reaction to the initial needs during the second miracle, the truth of the first feeding had not settled into their hearts.

Questions to Consider

Who were the audience?

Only one man was the audience. We do not see any reference to the disciples attending this meeting, and we must assume that Mark was told this story by the disciples after they were taught it by Jesus.

The audience was the recipient of the miracle. No one was to see this miracle occur, no one was to witness the conversation, no one was to spread the news of this happening. Only through one of the disciples (Peter) does the Word include this amazing miracle no one knew about.

When did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See https://www.bibletimelines.net/timelines/jesus-ministry

Where did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction for downloadable reference file. Or for a snippet of the immediate timeline surrounding this miracle, see above.

Why did the Lord perform this mighty work?

One man was healed, in a very unconventional, somewhat surprising way. It appears the Lord may have intentionally staged this miracle, in order for some purpose other than the healing alone, but as we venture through the miracles, that is not a surprising summation. He did not simply heal! The miracles “spoke” to the people, and if there was ears to hear, the message could not be ignored. The principal message of course was that our Messiah had arrived.

When John’s disciples came asking Jesus if He was the One, the response was – “Look at the evidence”

Matthew 11:4-6 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Do you want to know who the Messiah is? Look at the evidence. Jesus openly displayed evidence of His person for many audiences, in various ways and in various settings. Sometimes it was in the midst of enemies, sometimes in the midst of the masses, sometimes it was in the midst of a few special friends. But this miracle was for one man, all alone, never to be seen by the crowd he was extracted from. He was instructed to go home and not back into the village where he was introduced to Jesus.

The end result of the healing was provided to the blind man, and to consider the initial effort some type of failure on the part of the Messiah seems ridiculous, since His abilities have been proven over and over again through His ministry. No no no. He was fully able to heal in any way He chose.

For this miracle though, what may have been a purpose in healing a blind man away from everyone else in a two step process? One hint I find in the passage is tempting to consider. The very isolation of the audience may lend itself to the purpose Jesus had. Was this man pulled away to not only provide the healing, but also provide a specific motivation for someone later? I think so. So let us consider ….

What was the message for the original audience?

What was the message for the original audience? For this single man who witnessed and received the miracle, the message was – Go home, do not even enter the village. No restrictions on speaking of the miracle! Just don’t go back into the village, where the original audience presumable still waited.

Yet we know of this miracle through the apostles recounting of the story. Mark wrote this miracle based on the story being told him after the resurrection, and confirmed by Peter as he wrote it out. Sometime between this miracle and the retelling, the Lord taught His disciples of the miracle, of the two step process and how the man finally came to clearly see his circumstances.

Jesus surely recounted this miracle to his disciples, after (I assume) those curious disciples came to Him asking what had happened. I can just imagine the discussion. (Completely my imagination – I have not found any hidden manuscripts of this interaction!)

Peter (or one of the disciples) – Hey Jesus – what happened out there?

Jesus – I healed the blind man, but it took two times to get him to see his surroundings

Peter – What? You do all things well, how could it take two times to get the job done?

Jesus – You tell me. You have seen many miracles, even duplicate miracles of feeding the masses? Why is it taking so many times for you to see?

What is the message for us today?

As I mentioned above, this interaction with the disciples sometime after the healing is completely of my wandering mind, yet it speaks to me in Jesus efforts to wake His friends up. Multiple visual witnesses to the disciples had been provided, and in some of the miracles, the disciples were in the midst of the very miracle, as in the feeding of the masses.

Yet as the Master teacher, Jesus may have used their curiosity to bring a message to the disciples they needed to hear. Jesus used their desire to know to instruct them to “own their failure”.

No one wants to be informed of failure, for our pride resists any form of accepting fault. This lesson has been drilled into my own life through my last few years at my current position at work. I have had to own mistakes and failings in order to push projects forward. It is commonly considered an act of “falling on my sword” in the admission of a conflict or problem, and it hurts. Yet the very pain of the experience has given me motivation to change, to watch for my pride as it erupts and to battle against it.

Although this application has to do with my professional life, His instruction is applicable to all aspects of our life. Humility and grace in receiving an unwelcome or uncomfortable truth is instrumental in maintaining a peaceful inner life, where you may hear the Word echo in your mind, where the quiet still voice can be understood. But fighting against whatever truth you need to hear only makes you too busy to hear and understand it. Jesus wants you to hear it, and He may orchestrate a specific circumstance in order for you to even ask for the rebuke. He is quite an amazing Teacher!

The disciples needed to own their failure of not comprehending the tremendous truth that was in their Messiah. How much more do we need to “own” our failure in grasping the tremendous truth of who Jesus is. We need to “own” much of our lack of faith and understanding. Is it not of benefit for us that we own up to this truth, that our fuzzy sight may somewhat reside within our own lack of effort in seeking, in searching, in grappling with who He is?

One final thought.

For those who may currently be comfortable with their understanding of who He is, who may be happy with their standing before Him, of their faith and maturity, of their position before Him. Understand that He is still greater than you understand, larger than you can imagine, wiser than you consider Him to be and He is totally beyond our comprehension.

If you consider that you know Him, think again. If you believe you understand Him, you may be mistaken. If you think you “see” things as they truly are, you need to “open your eyes” a second time. If you feel He is under some of your imagined restrictions, He surely isn’t.

He is the Messiah, the Master and the One. We are not, and we are in our correct and proper place when we realize not only our severe limitations, but the fundamental truth that He is greater, stronger and wiser than we will ever comprehend.

Admit to your blindness regarding Him, so that your eyes may be opened to a clearer understanding of who our Great Healer is.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

Come join us at Considering the Bible

After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.

I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at

Jesus Feeds 4,000

Matthew 15:32-39

Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

Mark 8:1-13

In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

General Observations

The first thing to observe is that this miracle appears to be similar to the feeding of the 5,000. Some may want to consider this miracle as the same miracle told two different times, yet a careful reading exposes too many differences to consider that to be true. Consider.

Disparities	Feeding the 5,000	Reference	Feeding the 4,000	Reference
Authors	Matthew, Mark, Luke & John		Matthew & Mark	Why would Matthew & Mark revise the miracle of the 5,000 with the following differences?
Audience	Jewish		Gentile
Location	Bethsaida	Luke 9:10	Decapolis	Mark 7:31
Sitting arrangement	“on the green grass”	Matthew 14:19	“on the ground”	Mark 8:6
Fast duration	one day	Matthew 14:15	three days	Mark 8:2
Source of food	a boy	John 6:9	disciples	Mark 8:5
Number of Loaves	Five	Matthew 14:17; Mark 6:38; Luke 9:16; John 6:9	Seven	Matthew 15:34 Mark 8:5-7
Number of Fishes	Two	see above	Few Little Fish	see above
Quantity of Leftovers	12 Baskets	Matthew 14:20 Mark 6:43 Luke 9:17 John 6:13	7 Baskets	Matthew 15:37 Mark 8:8
Crowd Size	5,000	Matthew 14:21 Mark 6:44 Luke 9:14 John 6:10	4,000	Matthew 15:38 Mark 8:9
Basket Description	kophinous	This Greek word refers to a small basket, a wicker basket	spuridas	This Greek word refers to a reed basket, as hamper. (See Acts 9:25 – Paul was able to escape Damascus in this type of basket)
Reception	Take Jesus by force to make Him King		No reaction provided

One last difference in the two miracles may be found in the words of Jesus Himself

Matthew 16:9-10 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?

Jesus referred to the two miracles as separate occasions, which is the potential reason Matthew and Mark recorded this second feeding. So, as we enter our passage, let’s not forget this is a second feeding of a multitude.

Questions to Consider

Who were the audience?

As mentioned above, this audience was primarily gentile, and as Matthew describes, consisted of four thousand men, besides women and children. Mark simply mentioned 4,000 people. A full audience size, as discussed in our previous post on the feeding of the 5,000, may have consisted of as many as 16,000 people, given that each man may have brought a wife and an average of a couple of children. (See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus #19 – Jesus Feeds 5,000)

No matter how you slice it, this crowd was massive, and defining the crowd to a specific size greater than the 4,000 may be an effort in futility. Whether it be 4,000 or 16,000 feeding such a crowd from a few fish and loaves makes a point. That point may have been directed to the audience consisting of 12 men who experienced this miracle first hand in the delivery of it!

When did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See https://www.bibletimelines.net/timelines/jesus-ministry

Where did the Lord perform this mighty work?

As mentioned above, the Lord performed this miracle in the region of the Decapolis, amongst a primarily gentile crowd. See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction for downloadable reference file.

Why did the Lord perform this mighty work?

I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.

Jesus had compassion on the crowd. He knew the crowd was at a point where if they were sent away, they would faint on their way. Some in the crowd were at their physical limits, and Jesus saw their suffering. Three days of following the Master, and now the crowd had nothing to eat.

I suppose a more important question is how would the disciples respond to this similar request of the Lord, based on His stated compassion for a crowd of gentiles. Besides this, the present location seems even more desperate than in the feeding of the 5,000, since in the previous location, the disciples mentioned villages to send the crowds to. Not so in this instance.

In all of these challenges, we must remember that the feeding of some stomachs was not the end goal, for they would need to be fed again and again. Not only were the crowd in need, the disciples were being challenged with a problem that they had already seen the Lord supply for.

What was the message for the original audience?

Note how the disciples addressed the compassion of the Master. A compassion for a primarily gentile crowd. In our previous miracle, the disciples suggest to the Lord the release of the crowds in order to get themselves food. In this miracle, no suggestion is given by the disciples. Might they have learned to trust somewhat, to have some patience in the exercising of the Lord’s ways? I would like to think so. Yet, as the Lord breached the topic of the audience going home (echoing the disciples desire from the earlier feeding?), the disciples asked the big question.

How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place? Mark 8:4

Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd? Matthew 15:33

Could the disciples be breaching their own inability, speaking of their weakness in providing for such need, and looking to the Lord for His provision? I want to hear this response as an open question, a question that reflects their own lack, in order for the Lord to provide, to supply what they cannot.

What is the message for us today?

As with so many of these miracles, the messages to each of us may be highly personal. The following are points that are real to me.

Weakness

The disciples, as I mentioned above, were evidently not as self assured, not as “in charge” of the situation as in the previous feeding. They did not initiate a solution for the Lord to agree to, but simply asked an open question. No mention of sending the crowd away. They asked questions, allowing the Lord to initiate a solution, to allow Him to provide in His way, for they had experienced this problem once before. And given that they had experienced this very situation previously, they did not come to Him suggesting (or demanding) the same solution. This, in my opinion, is a sign of growth, and although the disciples were often upbraided for their lack of faith, it is refreshing to see change in their lives because of Him.

In our lives, a realization of our weakness is critical to allow the Lord to have His way in our lives. A constant demanding of God to perform according to our will, of having a faith that has specific definite expectations may lead more to disappointment. It is a paramount mission of the believer to be like Him, as He says

Not my will, but thine be done

Patience

Closely linked to the characteristic of weakness, is the increasing ability to exercise patience in the midst of trying circumstances. If we are in the midst of a comfortable, highly regulated and safe environment, (as many may be who are reading this post), the appearance of patience is a relatively easy character trait to display, for there may be little that forces us to be pushed to a limit, to a breaking point.

Consider the disciples and the growing problem of the crowd going without food. The situation was coming to a breaking point, where it was evident that some in the crowd were in a very bad situation. Even the disciples were coming to the end of their supplies, for 7 loaves amongst 13 men is “scraping the bottom of the barrel”!

At different times in our lives, patience will be required in order to obtain the promises. For a consideration of the importance of patience in the Christian life, I would refer you to a post within a series I wrote on Hebrews 12:9-11 (Patience – Required to Inherit the Promises)

Timing

This last application, closely related to patience, is the one that seemingly bites me in the behind the most. Exercising patience to an expected end is required for the believer, but as a weak man, I find I fail in fully realizing the timing of the Lord. Of course, some instances force my acceptance of the timing of the Lord, since I realize I have no ability to change a situation – It is up to the Lord to decide when and how.

Yet, it is somewhat comforting to see the Lord allow a situation to occur, (as in the increasing need of feeding 4,000), whether through our own poor planning or even our inability to foresee problems. A period of doing without is allowed in the will of the Master, yet it is His compassion that breaks through to provide, to allow relief in the entire scheme of things.

As the Lord brings relief, and in His timing, consider the message He may be providing, and not simply the provision to satisfy the immediate need.

As you can see, this miracle speaks to weakness, patience and timing, and they are all aspects of a Christian life that is dependent on the actions of the Lord.

We are to be dependent. He is dependable. Seems this is the will of God, and that He keeps His end of the bargain up.

Are you being stretched in the experience of weakness, patience and the timing of the Lord?

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

Come join us at Considering the Bible

After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.

I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at

Jesus Heals a Deaf and Dumb Man

Mark 7:31-37

Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

General Observations

If I’m looking at a map of Tyre and Sidon, and Jesus’ eventual destination in this passage, that is the Sea of Galilee, it appears the route is unnecessarily long. And why head north, when the Sea of Galilee is southeast of Tyre?

Is Mark implying that Jesus had a specific purpose in the area of Sidon that He doesn’t refer to. This is definitely a possibility for the Lord performed so many miracles and taught so many folks, that this may be a location that has simply not been recorded for our instruction. After all, as John tells us…

… there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

An alternative reason He went through Sidon to eventually go southeast may have been simply an opportunity for Jesus and His disciples to finally get an extended time of quietness. Much had occurred in the recent weeks and the Lord had mentioned a number of times that they as a group needed to regroup and find some solitude. (See Mark 6:31, Mark 7:24 for examples)

Questions to Consider

Who were the audience?

The only ones present, per the text, was the Master, those who brought the deaf man, and a crowd. Yes even in the Decapolis, where He had been banished from due to the swine incident, He had accumulated a gathering, a crowd of those who followed Him as He was on His way.

The deaf man brought to the Messiah had a speech impediment of some kind, implying at the least that he had been deaf his entire life and his speech reflected this condition. Could the man communicate at all? Was it that he could not make a sound, or that in making the sound, no one could easily understand? Given that the ones who brought the deaf man begged Jesus to lay His hands on the deaf man, I am leaning to understand the man couldn’t communicate clearly.

As a matter of fact, the last verse mentions that those who were astonished at this miracle proclaim that He (Jesus) makes even the deaf hear and the mute to speak! Was this specific to this miracle? Possibly, or the fame of the Master simply preceded Him!

When did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See https://www.bibletimelines.net/timelines/jesus-ministry

Where did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction for downloadable reference file.

It is interesting that Mark mentions they were in the region of the Decapolis, a region that encompassed ten cities, (hence the name Deca – polis.) To be in the Decapolis was to be in a Gentile majority population, on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The Decapolis was in the region belonging to the half tribe of Manasseh, so technically they were still in the promised land, but the Jewish influence was minimal, and the Gentile population looked down upon the Jewish way of life.

It isn’t the first time the group was in the region, for Jesus was in the area when He healed the demon possessed man and sent the swine swimming. At that time, He had been booted out of the area by the locals. Seems it didn’t stick!

Why did the Lord perform this mighty work?

Since the Lord charged the deaf man and all who witnessed the miracle to tell no one, it seems obvious that the mighty sign was not provided in order to get the news out of the Messiah having come. Jesus wanted this one to be a miracle that was without outward purpose, one that was a response only to the recipient, and his friends. This intended purpose was frustrated, as it seems the group began to speak of the miracle after being charged not to by the One who provided the miracle. Even after numerous times of being charged by Jesus to stay quiet, they continued to proclaim the miracle.

It appears the Lord’s will was frustrated by a group of “thankful” witnesses! He gave hearing and speech to the deaf man, and it is safe to assume He could take it away. Yet, He sought their obedience to refrain from speaking of the miracle, and in their disobedience of preaching, brought about an even greater group of those who followed Him.

But was this a positive outcome?

Of course every one of this increasing group may be following after Jesus for the right reason, but there is going to be a winnowing of the group soon. Those who were following simply for the “eye candy” of miracles, (or in this instance “ear” candy?) or for the food that may be provided would be given teaching that would cause a falling away. This may have been a reason the Lord charged them to remain quiet, for the group needed to be reduced, not enlarged, for it to be effective for His purposes.

High numbers of adherents do not equal great strength in this instance!

What was the message for the original audience?

The Word states that He took the deaf man aside from the crowd, seemingly continuing with the theme of keeping this particular miracle an isolated, non spreading work of God. Being pulled aside from the crowd, Jesus touched both this mans ears and his tongue, those members of his body that were dead or crippled, and He provided life to them through a simple command.

The message of the miracle was two fold.

Open Up

First, to the one receiving the miracle, the message was of healing. For his ears and tongue to be opened. Open up. Be opened thoroughly.

Shut Up

Given that the original audience had been reduced to a few for the sake of witnessing the miracle, the second message is also clearly evident.

Shut up! Do not tell anyone. Do not mention it, do not proclaim it, do not say anything about it, do not declare it! Just walk away, take the miracle and just SHUT UP!

Just think of the first thing this deaf man heard. Tell no one. He had just received the gift of communication, and was immediately restricted from using the gift. Yet does not the One who provides for us all good gifts, have the right to tell us to self restrict the gifts He provides?

What is the message for us today?

In our daily lives, it seems clear that to provide the message of God’s self sacrificing love is a message that is to have no restrictions. Preach it far and wide!

And yet in the providence of God’s timing, my wife and I were just in the Gospel of Matthew, where the Lord speaks thus.

Matthew 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

As we chatted about this verse it seemed that Jesus was giving His church a restriction in order to provide a safeguard for themselves. The issue my wife and I still are unsure of, is the nature or identification of who the pigs and dogs are in our lives.

What characteristics would specifically identify these two groups for us, in order to give us guidance in not throwing our pearls before them? I find it coincidental at the very least that Peter uses the same two animals (dogs and swine) in a verse describing a particular group of people he also warns the church of.

2 Peter 2:22

What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

Jesus was not the only One who spoke hard or difficult sayings. Peter, like his Master, brought up a very uncomfortable topic by referring to both dogs and pigs. So does Peter give us some guidance on who dogs and pigs are when they are referred to in the Word. The verse immediately proceeding 2:22 gives us plenty to consider!

2 Peter 2:21

For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

Peter begins this lengthy passage in chapter 2 with the topic of false prophets/teachers, and describes them as irrational animals in verse 12 (as the proverb Peter refers to also describes them). These teachers knew the truth but had abandoned it!

He provides examples of false teachers bringing in destructive heresies (vs 1), forsaking the right way (vs 15), being entangled and overcome by defilement (vs 20) and finally as those turning back from the way of righteousness (vs 21). Peter summarizes his warning of false teachers in the last few verses of the chapter, in the specific verse we are considering.

So where is the false teacher in your circle of experience? Peter said they would enter in and be among us.

Please don’t consider this an encouragement to start heresy hunting! The issue in my mind is that hunting for false teachers is an exercise in futility somewhat. If we know the Word, (or better yet, if we are increasing in the knowledge of the Savior), the teaching these heretics provide will stick out like a sore thumb.

Also, my estimation of a false teacher may be different than yours, not because we do not have an absolute standard to judge by, but due to our growing but limited ability to understand the standard to be judged by. The standard I refer to is the Spirit provided Word of God of course.

When I first became a believer, I considered every teacher not adhering to my narrow understanding of the denominational teaching I was a part of to be somewhat heretical. This is to my shame, since I elevated a denomination over the Word itself. The denomination is not perfect in their understanding, as I surely am not.

So where does this lead me? A sense of humility and a guarded stance to those I understand, at this time, to be false teachers. How shall I respond to this miracle, and the command to SHUT UP in my situation? Provide nothing holy to false teachers. No effort of correcting them, no time spent watching them, and definitely not supporting them with prayers or financial gifts. They are the enemy in the camp!

Instead seek the Lord in the Word and through prayer. Continue to compare teachers in your circle with the message of the Word. Charlatans, seeking a following by tickling your ears are actually exploiting you, treating you like a commodity, and eventually will abandon you in your hour of need, as the Lord described the hired hand in John 10:12.

Follow after the Messiah, and if He tells you to shut up, SHUT UP!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

Come join us at Considering the Bible

After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.

I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at

Jesus Heals a Gentile Woman’s Demon-Possessed Daughter

Matthew 15:21-28

And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Mark 7:24 -30

And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

General Observations

Tyre specifically has had a very interesting past. Ezekiel prophesied of Tyre’s destruction in the 26th chapter of his book, with that destruction coming in waves, like the sea. A very interesting passage for another time!

Babylon, under Nebuchadnezzar besieged the island city about 600 yrs before Jesus visited. Tyre then came under attack by Alexander the Great, who eventually built the earthen causeway to the island in order to defeat the city/state.

By the time the Lord arrived, the city had been rebuilt, and the Roman dominance of the area made Tyre an influential center. Thirteen centuries after the Masters visit, the original city finally fell.

Questions to Consider

Who were the audience?

Jesus entered into a house. No mention of the house’s inhabitants are included in the telling of this miracle, but we can safely assume it had a limited audience, including the house owner’s family, the disciples and this woman, this Gentile, Syrophoenician woman. Mathew calls her “a Canaanite woman”. Jesus refers to her as a dog.

Wow Can this woman catch a break? Well, it seems she caught a break before the story closed!

When did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See https://www.bibletimelines.net/timelines/jesus-ministry

Where did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction for downloadable reference file.

An interesting thing to notice of Tyre (and Sidon) is that although they were considered Roman cities during the time of Jesus, these two cities were within the promised land designated to the allotment of Asher. Therefore, as Jesus entered the region of Tyre and Sidon, He was not in Roman territory, but remained in the promised allotment of Asher, one of Jacobs 12 sons. Although this region was in the promised land, the population of the area was predominantly Roman, with a small Jewish population.

To the Jewish population, Jesus was sent. To a minority within a larger population.

Why did the Lord perform this mighty work?

This Syrophoenician woman had great faith. The dogged, non-stop faith of this desperate mother earned her the honor of this positive answer. Jesus went beyond His own stated mission (of being sent to the lost sheep of Israel) in order for this miracle to be performed.

He went beyond His stated purpose, His stated mission, His word.

What was the message for the original audience?

The interaction between the Lord and this woman deserves a few moments to consider, for this woman faced a number of barriers or restrictions in getting what she desperately needed.

Restriction 1 – Seeming Indifference

Initially she had to ignore the Lord’s seeming indifference to her plea. He simply did not answer a word.

Restriction 2 – Obvious Rejection

On top of this disappointment, the disciples sought the Lord to rid themselves of her annoying crying. They actually begged Jesus to get rid of her. (At least they referred to Jesus for the decision to reject her, instead of simply getting rid of her on their own!)

Restriction 3 – Purpose of the Messiahs Mission

In response to the disciples, He reminded them of His mission to the lost sheep of Israel. He had a mission, and was focused on this mission, at least for the disciples sake.

This message must have been heard by the woman, for she did not give up. Her child was possessed and in dire need. She was desperate, and in need of the miracle workers touch. His mission was of no importance to her, and she kept pleading, begging for her daughters life, begging with a simple plea –

Matthew 15:25 ….Lord, help me

In the context of Jesus mission to the lost sheep of Israel, He responds with a somewhat shocking statement.

Matthew 15:26 ….It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs

He, in the context of the passage refers to the lost sheep of Israel as children, and that His ministry is likened to bread for their sustenance.

Throwing bread to the dogs is not right! A couple additional clarifications helps me in understanding this response.

Restriction 4 – Focus of His Mission

First off, the term “throw” refers to “casting”, “scattering” or to “let go of a thing without concern of where it lands”. Jesus has spoken of His focused ministry, and to “throw” miracles around without any care of where they land is the next wall she has to climb over to get her daughters health.

I don’t know about you, but veiled references of rejection hurt, since the comment gives an element of interpretation that forces the hearer/receiver to juggle the message around in the skull. A veiled rejection bugs me more than a straight out clear statement! But don’t worry, we may be coming up to a full on derogatory reference that is a clear rejection!

Restriction 5 – Derogatory References?

It is amazing how often I have to be corrected. Yesterday, when my wife and I were having our morning tea/coffee, we read through this short passage and I mentioned that the term “dogs” referred to the wild dogs that roamed the countryside, and that the Lord used this terminology to set up one final wall for this woman to climb over to get what she wanted. I think I am a fool. For you see, the term Jesus used was kynarion, and it is used in the New Testament four times, each of these times in this discourse with this Canaanite woman.

If Jesus had intended to refer to this woman as a wild dog (as I incorrectly thought), He may have used the term kyōn. This term, meaning “wild cur” is always reproachful, and is used five times in the New Testament. Three of these uses follow 

Matthew 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is holy….
Philippians 3:2 ESV – Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers….
Revelation 22:15 ESV – Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral …

No, the Lord softened the message, and did not continue in building a wall for this woman to mentally crawl over. This message may have been in response to her plea for help in Matthew 15:25 – Help me Lord. Let me try to explain.

I think He was sending a message to her that, although she was not of the “lost sheep of Israel” she was in the house, for this term was often used to describe “little dogs”, dogs that lived in the house, that were within the household. He was setting her up, giving her a picture of children at a table with “little dogs” nearby.

Yes, it seemed He wasn’t going to intentionally divert His focus from the lost sheet of Israel by “throwing” a piece of bread to a pet. That message seemed to be caught by this woman, for her faith spoke of her request as simply a crumb falling from the table! Her humility is astounding, for she not only reduced the image of the request (from bread to merely a crumb), but also the method of delivery, (from the Lord “throwing” to simply falling from the table.)

A crumb accidentally falling from the Master’s table. She was no longer asking for a piece of bread – no – simply a crumb, a little morsel, that which wouldn’t be missed, available due to His ministry to the lost sheep of Israel, a surplus from provisions given to the children at the table.

This woman fought to get her miracle. She did not give up, she saw the opportunity the Lord provided in His response and continued with her request, modifying the understanding of the plea, but never giving up on the request. The size of the bread and the method of receiving were of no importance to the woman. It was who provided the crumb which was the core issue. This is the nature of faith that Jesus commended her for.

What is the message for us today?

I am sure there are many messages for our learning today, but the following two speak to me, and hopefully to you.

Fighting Faith

We are to have a “fighting faith”, but by speaking of a “fighting faith” I do not mean the type of faith that argues every point of doctrine that is possible. No – not at all. That is simply a sign of insecurity and immaturity.

A fighting faith refers to a determined hanging on to the faith that was delivered to us, and for us to live under. A faith that is continuous, consistent, and that it does not simply take the first answer it gets. A faith that is worked out by love.

Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Certainly, a desperation of circumstances plays a role in the working out of our faith, for this woman was in front of the Messiah due to her desperate circumstance, a daughter severely appressed by a demon. We must remember that as we venture through this life, emergencies, trials, difficulties, problems, adversities and hardships will be about us, sometimes seemingly everywhere, and may appear there is no overcoming of. Some of these trials may remain, some are to be climbed over. Either way, disappointments are inherent in exercising faith, for without disappointments, faith would not be required. A fighting faith will continue to look to Him for answers, even in the midst of seeming restrictions.

Catch the Message

Yet this Gentile woman teaches us to “catch a message”. She caught the implication of the Lord’s use of “little dogs”, and continued the pursuit, finding opportunity in the message she heard. Truly an amazing discussion between the Lord and a “little dog”.

Do you approach the Word looking for opportunity or restrictions? I know, as a natural pessimist, I tend to see restrictions. This woman, this “little dog”, this non-Israeli, looked for opportunity, and in the search found the request she sought.

Not only did she receive her daughter back, she provided an example to us of one who looked for an opportunity before God, and kept asking util she found it! Truly a tenacious woman in front of our Good God. Somewhat reminiscent of a non-Israelite named Abraham, fighting for his nephew Lot in the City of Gomorrah.

Those non-Israelites sure provide stellar examples of seeking and finding God!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

Come join us at Considering the Bible

After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.

I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at

Jesus Heals Many Sick in Gennesaret

Matthew 14:34-36

And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

Mark 6:53-56

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

General Observations

Gennesaret is a land that was incredibly fertile, to the point the Rabbi’s called it the Garden of God”. The very name Gennesaret comes from two Hebrew words. “Gan” in the Hebrew means garden, with the second portion from the Hebrew “sarim”. meaning prince. Gennesaret may mean “princely gardens” and in the days of Christ, this small area of the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee (also known as the Sea of Gennesaret) was home to an area full of fruits and vegetables. The land could produce not only a multiple variety of food stuffs, but each crop would produce an abundant harvest!

Gennesaret, being just west of Capernaum was a central base of operations for the Lord during His early ministry, when the miraculous acts of the Lord increased in intensity. This very passage speaks of the healing of many. And the apostles provide very little information when compared with the many miracles that are spoken of. It’s almost as if the apostles are starting to see a pattern in the physical healing and the effect of it.

Yet as we continue in our series on the mighty works of Jesus, we will begin to see the Lord leaving this northern region where He performed so many of His miracles, and where His ministry went through a period a tremendous popularity. As we see Him moving into His next phase of ministry, it is good to remember that His time in the north was planned from centuries before.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of the Messiahs ministry in the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali in his 9^th chapter and Matthew connected Jesus’ ministry with this prophecy.

Matthew 4:14-16 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles–
the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”

The people had seen a great light, and on them a light had dawned. This period of time when the Lord was in the region provided multiplied proofs of His identity, and at no time since has a people had such a bright light shine (in relation to miracles produced).

Everyone recognized Him and they all understood He was a great miracle worker, but for some reason this region fell under condemnation by the Lord later in His ministry.

Matthew 11:21-24 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Questions to Consider

Who were the audience?

Per the passage, everyone in the region of Gennesaret were either witnesses or recipients of the Lord’s presence. When I say everyone, (and being an engineer by trade), I automatically think of the population that would be in the area. This was difficult to determine with a desktop search, but the area itself is generally considered to be about 3 miles long from south to north and about 1¼ miles broad, form shore to rocky foothills. Given that this area was predominantly a farmers paradise, I intended to calculate a potential population, assume a percentage of sick amongst the population and provide a number of healings performed. I nixed that foolishness, since even within the passage the author describes the extent of coverage as being “all that region”. I will not attempt to define the limits of “all that region” for that may cover cities like Capernaum, maybe even Bethsaida. Dang it all if even as I read the passage again, the verse speaks of going into villages and cities also.

This explosive burst of miracles performed by the Lord might well have encompassed many more than I first thought. Nevertheless, the audience was massive, most likely (in my humble opinion) greater than the 5,000 He recently fed.

He sure was popular!

When did the Lord perform this mighty work?

One additional assumption of mine that was wrong when I first considered this miracle, or should I say period of miracles, is the duration described within this short passage. The passage speaks of the Messiah going from village to city, and throughout the countryside. This surely was not an hour stint (as I assumed) where He stopped for a quick visit. We are not even told if He had plans upon arriving here that was interrupted by the crowds!

Again, the duration of this prolonged period of miracles can only be guessed at, yet it seems to beg a day or two, maybe more. He travelled through the area, and the population retrieved the sick to meet with Him. This was not a efficiently planned ministry stop over that catered to the Messiah’s crowded day planner!

See https://www.bibletimelines.net/timelines/jesus-ministry

Where did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See above for a description of the area, its fruitfulness and general size. Also, see Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction for downloadable reference file.

Why did the Lord perform this mighty work?

The passage does not provide a motivation of the Lord in the healing of multitudes, and it seems He was somewhat passive in the act of healing. Yes, the passage speaks of the crowd imploring Him, requesting healings, yet the action of healing also is described as the woman with a blood disorder. See Jesus #14 – Jesus Heals a Woman in the Crowd.

Remember that the woman simply took the healing. She didn’t approach the Master for permission, but simply took power from Him by touching the fringe of His garment. (Desperate for a healing or great faith?)

The fringe of his garment seemed to be a key for the crowds in getting what they wanted, for in both passages in describing this mighty work, the fringe of His garment is referred to. Even as the crowd clambered about Him, grabbing and clutching, He provided the light necessary, in the form of miracles to see the truth of His person.

But I have to ask myself if the physical healing became a stumbling lock to receiving spiritual healing? Nothing in this specific passage addresses this concern of mine, yet I wonder…

What was the message for the original audience?

The message to the original audience was that He was a patient and beneficent miracle healer. At no time in either of these passages in Matthew or Mark is there any description of those being healed as confessing Him for who He was. Now I realize silence is not a good basis to build a teaching on, yet the intent of the miracles, if I understand them correctly, is not simply the physical healing, but identification of the Great Healer being present, the One of whom the nation of Israel (and the world) needed to recognize as the Messiah, the Deliverer sent by God.

Yet, and it seems anticlimactic to say this, but all we have is many multiple physical healings, and that is all. And since this region came under condemnation by the Master a bit later in His ministry, I assume this display, or notification of His arrival was not received as intended.

What is the message for us today?

The message that screams out to me is the tremendous patience and goodness of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Let’s recall that this period of time originally began with the Master seeking a time of rest and regrouping with His men.

Mark 6:31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

This intended plan was dashed, for instead of rest, He fed five thousand, spent a night in prayer, rescued the disciples on the sea (walked on the water out to their boat in the early morning), and now was besieged by even greater crowds than the day before. Yet He continued in the midst of tiredness, frustration of intended effects, and a broken expectation of rest with His disciples.

One item that seems to echo in my thoughts is that the display of miracles by the Master did not produce a vibrant Christian experience, or revolutionize the area, produce a spiritual revival or initiate a great missionary effort. It was simply physical healing for multitudes that seemingly produced no real spiritual fruit.

Sad, since this area is known as a fruitful garden!

Might that be something for us to understand in our efforts to those who are outside the Body? Is the existence of miracles, (or at least the claim of miracles), automatically a sign of healthy spiritual life and fervor? Do miracles produce spiritual life!

Matthew 7:22 – 23 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

As I mentioned above, it seemed Jesus was mighty popular during this period of His ministry, yet the popularity didn’t translate into the intended effect of changed lives. No repentance or true faith is spoken of, yet He sure was popular!

Jesus is somewhat popular in our society nowadays, and yet when I ask who He is, I receive many various descriptions from declared believers. Popularity of Jesus is dependent on the understanding we each have of Him, and if we see Him only as a miracle healer, One who is there to serve us, this may be replicating the people of Gennesaret.

Did I mention that this region was never spoken of in a positive manner after this explosion of light?

Food for thought.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

Come join us at Considering the Bible

After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.

I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at

Jesus Walks on Water

Matthew 14:22-33

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.”  So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Mark 6:45-52

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

John 6:16-21

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

General Observations

Mark says the disciples were to go to Bethsaida? In the feeding of the five thousand, the gospels tell us they were already at Bethsaida. What is going on?

Mark 6:45 states that they were to pass over to Bethsaida, to the other side. This was a point of confusion for myself until I considered a passage in John. You see, John describes their trip as being “across the sea to Capernaum”. So, is Bethsaida located also near Capernaum?

Well, to this day, there is research being performed by archeologists on the exact location of the town of Bethsaida. Even if Bethsaida is successfully located, it was also common in ancient days to have two towns named the same.

A solution to this conundrum may exist in the naming of cities in the ancient world. John describes another Bethsaida in John 12:21, calling it “Bethsaida of Galilee” Could Bethsaida of Galilee be a settlement near Capernaum? If so, this may be the solution.

As an aside, I understand the gospel of Mark to be the gospel Peter oversaw in the writing, and that he gave direction to Mark in the recording of the the life of Jesus. If this is true, consider that Mark did not concern himself with Peter’s walking on the water, or that the Lord rescued him from his sinking.

Questions to Consider

Who were the audience?

This miracle had a limited audience, in that the only ones who witnessed this incredible happening were the disciples themselves. Mark is specific in stating in Mark 6:49 & 50 that “they saw Him walking on the sea”…”and they all saw Him and were terrified”

This miracle was provided for the disciples and spoke to their relationship with the One walking on water. It is also interesting that all other miracles performed were for the sake of the sick, infirmed or dead. This miracle was “self inflicted”, in that the Lord Himself was the object of the miracle. He did the miraculous, that is, He walked on the water!

When did the Lord perform this mighty work?

Immediately after He fed the five thousand. This is important to remember as we go through this miracle.

See https://www.bibletimelines.net/timelines/jesus-ministry

Where did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction for downloadable reference file.

Why did the Lord perform this mighty work?

Mark 6:48 states that the Lord saw His disciples were making headway across the water “painfully”. The Greek word used here to describe the disciples situation is basanizō and has the meaning of a testing, or to question by applying torture, to torment, to vex with grievous pains, or to be harassed or distressed. The disciples were in the middle of a fight for their lives, in the very arena that many thought of themselves as experts – four of them were fishermen, after all.

Matthew 14:24 describes the progress of the disciples as being a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, with the wind against them. He also uses the same word when describing the treatment of the waves on the disciples. They were being tormented by the waves!

Even John, in his abbreviated recounting of this miracle, speaks of the sea becoming rough, with a strong wind blowing.

In all of this torment that the disciples were experiencing, Jesus acts like a Savior, saving His people from a perilous situation. He had work for them and He loved them, and this was a perfect opportunity for a teachable moment. And this moment of teaching occurred by His walking on the water.

You know, I wouldn’t have expected this. As I imagined myself in the boat struggling with surviving a storm I may have never experienced, I would never have thought my deliverance would be through One who simply walked on the very water that was trying to kill me. And on top of that, He walked on water as if He was going to pass them by!

He is truly not like us!

What was the message for the original audience?

In Matthews portrayal, Peter had stepped out on the water but took his eyes off of the Lord, concentrating on his surroundings. He “noticed” the impossibility of his actions, the potential danger surrounding him, and I think that sinking feeling he felt, as his knees, waist (and shoulders?) were going under! The sea had not calmed down yet, and Peter was walking on water in the midst of a terrible storm.

In his sinking, Peter cried out the Jesus in the proper way. “Lord, save me.” Reaching out to Peter, Jesus not only delivered him, but also addressed Peter’s fear by speaking to him of his “little faith”.

In Marks recounting of the miracle, he simply states the disciples were “utterly astounded”. They were beside themselves, completely amazed. Mark doesn’t recount any command from the Lord in stilling the sea. As a matter fact, none of the gospels recount the Lord speaking to the wind or sea as He did in a previous crossing. (See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus #12 – Jesus Calms a Storm). No command for nature to calm down, to settle down, to quit raging!

But that doesn’t mean He didn’t address a storm. For you see, the topic of overcoming fear is a recurring theme of this miracle. Fear of the storm, fear of a ghost the disciples thought they saw, Peter’s fear of sinking. In the midst of an incredibly fierce storm, Jesus provided relief for His disciples, not by calming the storm on the sea, but by instruction to the disciples to understand who He was.

He told His disciple to not be afraid due to His presence.

Matthew 14:27 …“Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Mark 6:50 …“Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

John 6:20 ….“It is I; do not be afraid.”

This approach to the miracle helps me to understand the last phrase Mark adds to this miracle.

Mark 6:52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Their fear was based on not catching the message of the feeding of the five thousand. If Jesus could provide for the five thousand, could He not protect His disciples? Did the disciples still not catch who they were hanging out with? Even after the storm calmed down, the disciples were amazed, utterly astounded, because they didn’t catch the intended message of the feeding of the five thousand.

Matthew closes the description of this miracle with the disciples worshipping Him, claiming He is the Son of God!

What is the message for us today?

If you are a new believer, you will see the Lord come to your aid in many wonderful, exciting and various ways. Many times as a young believer, the Lord performed acts of mercy toward yours truly that were intended to give me understanding of who my Savior is. Too few times, I got the message. I hope I am catching the message better as I mature.

If you are a maturing believer, recount the times when the Lord fed your five thousand, when He proved Himself in your past. Translate that message into whatever situation you find yourself in presently.

There is no guarantee the situation will change, just like the storm didn’t cease immediately for the disciples, yet if we understand who He is, another storm may just quit raging!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

Come join us at Considering the Bible

After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.

I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at

Jesus Feeds 5,000

Matthew 14:13-21

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Mark 6:30-44

The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Luke 9:10-17

On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish–unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” And they did so, and had them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

John 6:1-15

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

General Observations

This miracle is recounted in all of the gospels, and as such we have much to consider as we venture through the texts. The passage speaks of supply in the face of want, of the patience of the Master as He seeks some down time, of the disciples riding high on a recent victory. This passage has it all, and hopefully we can find a small nugget of truth that will give us guidance for the day.

Questions to Consider

Who were the audience?

Those who witnessed this miracle were those who actively participated in the work, that is the disciples, along with those who passively participated, by consuming food until they were satisfied.

Regarding the number in the crowd, the gospels tell us of five thousand men, along with women and children. Of the number of women and children, some have suggested an equal number of women (as wives) and an even greater number of children, since the assumption is that family units were present. This may be so, and if so, the volume of the audience fed that day could be as high as twenty thousand.

Since this was the time of the festivals, as John 6:4 describes, it may be that the crowd consisted primarily of men, since festival attendance was required of the males only (Deuteronomy 16:16).

No matter the number, whether five thousand or twenty thousand, the audience was huge and this miracle stands out as a well known work of God, that had somewhat surprising results.

When did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See https://www.bibletimelines.net/timelines/jesus-ministry

It is good to remember some of the happenings just prior to this miracle, and the reason Jesus sought solitude. John the Baptist had just been martyred, and this not only reinforced the obvious course of the Messiah’s ministry and life, but indicated a step closer to the inevitable confrontation with the powers that be.

The disciples had also just returned from their first missionary journey with tales of victory, and Jesus may have sought a time of reflection and review with the disciples.

Beyond both of these pivotal occurrences, Mark 6:31 simply states that the Lord sought some relief from the constant “coming and going” of the masses. He simply wanted a break.

Fat chance that was gonna happen!

Where did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction for downloadable reference file.

Mark 6:32 speaks of the Master and His disciples heading to a desolate place for rest, while Luke 9:10 speaks of the town called Bethsaida.

Bethsaida is an interesting little town, in that Jesus included it with the town of Chorazin when He condemned the people of the region for their rejection of His ministry.

Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

It is reported that the town/village of Bethsaida was abandoned in 65 AD due to the advance of the Roman armies. It is no longer a populated area.

Bethsaida is also referenced in John 1:44 as the hometown of Peter Andrew and Philip.

John 1:44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

Grassy plain of Bethsaida

There is some debate amongst scholars and archeologist as to whether Bethsaida was on the shore of Galilee or approx. 6 miles inland (as the map above indicates). For our purposes in this post, let us understand the miracle occurred outside of the town, on a grassy solitary place.

Why did the Lord perform this mighty work?

As with the last miracle, Jesus saw the great crowd and had compassion on them. They were like sheep without a shepherd. Out of this compassion, the Lord began to teach them many things. (The miracle of the feeding was, humanly speaking, an afterthought.)

Consider the compassion of the Lord, as He recognized them as shepherdless sheep, and that He began to teach, even though He sought solitude. Even as the disciples realized the lateness of the day, and was advising the Lord to “send them away”, He wouldn’t abandon the crowd. Remember – He originally came to this desolate place to find some quiet, and to reconnect with the disciples.

Something else may be going on here that is not explicitly said within the text. The disciples had just returned from a victorious missionary journey. Tasks assigned during this journey included preaching the kingdom of God, healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing lepers, and driving out demons. (see Matthew 10:8). They had just returned from exercising authority over sickness, demons and death!

Could they not feed a few hungry souls?

But alas, the Lord’s patience is present with His people, though we are such slow learners. He took what the disciples provided to Him and multiplied the scraps to feed multitudes. I suppose He was not only teaching the multitudes, but also His disciples by the actions He continually performed in front of them!

He is the Great Teacher!

What was the message for the original audience?

For the crowds, they received a meal from a miracle working preacher, after He taught the crowd of the kingdom of God. I am curious what the Lord taught, but would not be surprised if He didn’t provide instruction on the temporariness of a meal. But that is my imagination running away with the story!

The crowds may have seen the miracle, or they may not have. Over five thousand men would have created a distance that may have restricted many from seeing how this food was provided. Complete conjecture on my part, but one thing is certain, in that when Jesus raised His eyes to heaven and said a blessing, He did so to honor and thank His heavenly Father.

For the disciples, the message was somewhat different. I like what the Lord said in Matthew 14:16

“They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”

I can just imagine the thoughts running through the disciples minds. Just as they recounted their successful missionary journey, they were being challenged to provide food for multitudes. This wasn’t part of the program – Jesus spoke of glamorous healings, and sensational raising’s of the dead. Producing food for irritating crowds had not been in the original instruction from the Lord! What’s worse – after they abdicated their ability to produce the food, (which I fully understand!), they were each assigned the task of a waiter and table cleanup for the masses. This was definitely a drop in status.

Also, it would be so good to hear the inflection of the disciples voice when they brought the loaves and fish to Jesus. Do you suppose the disciples came to the Lord with someone’s lunch, with a hopeless, “what can we do” attitude? I know that is my first response to a seemingly impossible request from the Lord.

Could the message for the disciples be somewhat different than what I first imagined when I approched this miracle? Could it include a realignment for the disciples thinking, an effort to bring them back down to earth, in that they still had so much to learn?

What is the message for us today?

Be prepared to be stretched.

Personally, I have been in a bit of a holding pattern recently, and as you may see, the emphasis of the passage is speaking of being stretched, used and entering new areas of service that may not be comfortable. New ventures that may be at first areas of failure, yet the Lord is ever patient with His people, and His mercy teaches us that He will be there for us as we seek Him. He is the Great Teacher!

Be prepared to learn

And we claim to be the students, the disciples as we Christians call ourselves. To be a disciple is to be a learner, but do you feel you have learned it all, that you are fully instructed in the ways of the Lord, that you are a guide to the blind and teacher of the ignorant?

Hold up a bit my friend, for this type of pride has caused me more harm than good. As a matter of fact, I can’t recall any good that it has provided to anyone!

Be prepared to be corrected, to be reproved, to come down a notch, to wait on tables even though you have recently moved a mountain. Be a good student, and as you seek Him, some humble pie may need to be consumed!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

Come join us at Considering the Bible

After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.

I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at

Jesus Heals an Invalid at Bethesda

John 5:1-17

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids–blind, lame, and paralyzed. waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred the water: whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had  One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”  And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.  So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.”  But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.'”  They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”  Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.  Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.  And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.  But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

General Observations

Five roofed colonnades over the pool? Is it not curious that John speaks of five covered areas? In my research, I found an explanation at www.biblicalarchaeology.org

…the Bethesda Pool is described as having five porticoes—a puzzling feature suggesting an unusual five-sided pool, which most scholars dismissed as an unhistorical literary creation. Yet when this site was excavated, it revealed a rectangular pool with two basins separated by a wall—thus a five-sided pool—and each side had a portico.

This detail is one that has been used to attack the accuracy of the Scriptures over the ages. You see, no archeologist had identified this pool of Bethesda until the early 19th century. Critics assumed that someone other than John wrote the gospel centuries after the destruction of Jerusalem, supposedly describing the surroundings without ever seeing them. Once again, the critic is proven wrong! Truly, the Scriptures are constantly being verified by archeology, and provides us with a constant reminder of the fact of Jesus and His disciples walked amongst the citizens of Israel, even amongst the poorest and weakest.

This pool was called Bethesda, which means a house of mercy, or a house of kindness. With the pool designated as a “house of mercy” so close to the temple, it may speak of the spiritual temperature of the city of Jerusalem. So much suffering so close to God’s house. Many of the most religious adherents attending the temple, along with those ministering in the temple, must surely have known of this pool, and of those in need.

Questions to Consider

Who were the audience?

Every sick person in the pool witnessed this miracle. The audience was the many who had come to the pool for relief, for healing, who needed a miracle. Yet only the invalid in our passage received assistance, and not because of any great faith or virtue, but simply out of mercy. Simply out of compassion.

Verse 10 tells us that “the Jews” were present. Were they there to minister to the sick, elderly and infirmed? Did they bring hot meals to them during lunchtime? Nothing is stated regarding these acts of mercy, but they were keen to inform this newly walking un-invalid that he was breaking the Sabbath.

How utterly amazing to see a religious person ignore the work of God in order to enforce the word of man. Carrying a bed as an affront to God? How could anyone justify this as wrong? Yet the guardians of God and His temple found a way to exercise power over their flock by providing rules rules rules.

But I am getting ahead of myself!

When did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See https://www.bibletimelines.net/timelines/jesus-ministry

Recently, I published a post on this miracle from the standpoint of the timing of the miracle. Jesus on the Sabbath – Part 15 – Equal with God. It may be of interest for those who want to consider this miracle as it relates to the Sabbath.

Where did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction for downloadable reference file.

The pool was located north of the temple, and it’s association with the sheep gate provides a hint as to it’s purpose for the temple. Could it have been a source of water to purify sacrificial sheep, prior to being offered in the temple? Some archeologists and Bible scholars believe this pool was a Jewish bath for worshippers to achieve ritual purity, but with the rumor of healings being available at the pool, all those who were in need of a miracle flocked to the pool.

Why did the Lord perform this mighty work?

Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time. Jesus determined this man would be healed, simply based out of compassion for this man who had been crippled for almost four decades. Four decades!

Jesus asked what seemed to be a foolish question. Do you want to be healed? Considering that the man was waiting for the stirring of the water and that legend spoke of the healing of the waters, it seemed to be obvious that the man wanted to be healed, but was simply unable to get to the pool.

As we read the passage, we find that this simple question was not answered directly. The man did not answer the question, request any assistance from Jesus, but simply provided the Master a reason he had not experienced any healing. He was at the pool, but had no ability to take advantage of any possible healing.

John 5:8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”

Am I right in thinking that Jesus’ response indicates a bit of impatience, a bit of frustration with this invalid? Is that fair? Jesus had been performing miracles throughout Israel, and often we hear of those witnessing the Lord’s works as spreading the news of this miracle worker far and wide. This miracle alone was not the first in Jerusalem, and His fame was spreading like wildfire. I will leave it to the reader to consider the situation, and of Jesus’ tone of voice as He responds to the invalid.

In defense of the invalid, we have to remember that he had been an invalid for close to forty years, and we don’t know how long he had visited the pool. Sure there was a miracle worker in Israel, yet why would anyone care for an old invalid man who had been forgotten by so many?

What was the message for the original audience?

For the invalid, the message was simple. Get up. Pick up your bed. Walk. All three commands were obeyed and the invalid received his miracle.

For those at the pool who were still in need, they had seen the Messiah perform a healing which indicated the Hope of Israel had arrived. The physical healing was a signpost for others to understand Who had arrived. Healing everyone would not have accomplished anything greater than what occurred that day. As a matter of fact, it may have simply redirected the focus from Him. This was a constant concern of the Messiah, that those who came to Him simply wanted their immediate needs addressed.

For those Jews who had been watching Jesus, this miracle sparked active persecution towards Jesus.

John 5:16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.

For the Jewish leadership, directing the invalid to carry his bed on the Sabbath became the straw that broke the camels back. This was too much for them. Could Jesus have simply told the invalid to get up and walk away? Sure. But He didn’t. Would this have created an equal reaction from the Jewish leadership? We may never know, but I think you can know what I think!

The miracle should have been understood differently. Jesus directed an invalid, whom He healed, to carry his bed on the Sabbath. The miracle of healing should have indicated to the Jews that Jesus was from God, but they had already determined that His source of authority came from the enemy. (See the previous post – Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus #17 – Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak)

Now, in their minds, He was openly disobeying the rules set up by men in order to properly obey God. A rebel, an enemy of the establishment, a preacher that would not conform to their demands. But why should He conform to their demand, for He is Lord of the Sabbath, the One who established the nation of Israel and provided the ordinances, laws and ceremonies they lived by.

He is the Authority that is greater than any law they sought to obey.

What is the message for us today?

Jesus healed this invalid, though the invalid did not express any faith in Him, request any assistance or even acknowledge who He was. The invalid couldn’t even identify the One who healed him to the Jewish authorities. Jesus actually withdrew into the crowd (vs 13) after the healing. If there is ever a miracle that would satisfy our modern need for instantaneous satisfaction, this is the one.

In this miracle, this quick, instantaneous and sudden miracle working on this unknown invalid, Jesus exhibited Himself as Lord. We must allow Him to be who He is. He may, at His discretion, have compassion on any sinner or saint, whether famous or unknown, rich or poor, wise or foolish, young or old, full of faith or without belief, at any time, for any reason, without warning, and without hesitation.

His miracles, if understood properly, point to His person, to His relation to the Father and His authority over all of creation. Some miracles may occur during your walk with the Lord, and may I suggest that a proper understanding of them is critical to appreciate the wonder of the One providing the miracle.

Acts of mercy are, by their very nature undeserved, and if you are blessed in receiving a miracle in this life, consider Who it is that touched your life. Focus on the miracle provider and not on the miracle provided. Filter the fact of the miracle through the character of our Messiah.

For He is good, all the time.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

Come join us at Considering the Bible

After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.

I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at

Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak

Matthew 9:32-34

As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him.  And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

General Observations

We have been in Mathew for a series of miracles and it may be profitable to recount the work of Jesus up to this point, at least from Matthews standpoint. Previous to this miracle, Jesus has

• Healed a woman of a blood disease
• Raised a 12 year old girl from the dead
• Given two blind men sight

Given our last mighty work of Jesus as providing sight to blind men, it is interesting to compare the two miracles and their recipients. 

What actually was this fellows physical disability? Of course, the source of the mute man’s condition was the demon oppression, which Jesus addressed in this miracle. Yet to get a feel of this man’s existence, it is worth considering the world he lived in. The term describing this man brought to Jesus is the Greek word kōphos κόπτω (G2875), and includes the idea of deafness. Although this passage describes the man as unable to speak, the term may also include the inability to hear. If so, consider this poor man’s condition.

If deaf and mute, he was in a world where communication was limited to hand gestures, or facial expressions. Understanding the simplest message was fraught with confusion. Remember, the skill of reading and writing was not as widespread as it is today, and we may safely assume this skill was not available to this poor soul. Given this, he lived in a world of silence, restricted of any method of communication to those around him. His thoughts were his and his alone, and the privilege of sharing with another person the joys or sorrows of this life were unavailable to him. He experienced a loneliness many have never entered into.

If only mute, this condition is not much better, since he may hear a message, yet not be able to communicate his thoughts or feelings fully. This, in my opinion, would be incredibly frustrating, since I am a fairly opinionated fella!

Questions to Consider

Who were the audience?

Those who brought the mute man. (I am assuming more than one person brought him.) These folk who brought him had heard of Jesus, and may have seen the miracles. But nothing is said of those who brought him to Jesus. They are not the focus of this miracle.

As a matter of fact, nothing is said of the mute man, other than his demon oppression and of his cure. He is a “silent” witness in all of this – no pun intended!

Two main groups are spoken of in the recounting of this miracle.

The Crowd

The crowd marveled, saying “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” To be marveled was to be amazed, to be cast into wonder. This crowd may very well be made of many in Capernaum that had seen many of Jesus’ miracles so far, yet this one amazed them. At no time does Matthew inform us of the mute man or his friend(s) requesting a healing. (Granted – they may have and Matthew simply doesn’t record it!) Yet the absence of the request allows me to think Jesus may have addressed this man’s disability without request.

Just healing a mute man for the sake of those in attendance? For the Pharisees possibly? Remember that at this time, the Pharisees are tagging behind the Lord to determine if He truly is a charlatan or the real McCoy!

A miracle for the Pharisees? Interesting possibility!

The Pharisees

Consider the progression Matthew gives us in this chapter, regarding the Pharisees attitude toward the Messiah. Initially, the Pharisees accused Him in their hearts of blasphemy in Matthew 9:3.

Matthew 9:3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”

Then the Pharisees breach the subject of besmirching the Lord’s character with the disciples in Matthew 9:11.

Matthew 9:11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Finally, with the healing of this mute man, the Pharisees come out with their current judgement against the Master and His ministry.

Matthew 9:34 ESV – But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

This is the first time this judgement on the Lord’s ministry is delivered to the masses, but Matthew will inform us later that the Pharisees maintained this strategy to defame the Lord.

Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”

(I have considered this passage previously in a post called Book Look – Heaven’s Doors – Unpardonable Sin.)

At this point in the Lord’s ministry, and due to this mute man being healed, the Pharisees reveal their opinion of the Messiah to the masses and set themselves on a collision course with God and His Messiah.

When did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See https://www.bibletimelines.net/timelines/jesus-ministry

Where did the Lord perform this mighty work?

See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction for downloadable reference file.

Why did the Lord perform this mighty work?

As mentioned above, the Pharisees had seen enough, and publicly gave a judgement against the Lord, informing the crowd of their determination of His source of power. It is quite humorous (if it wasn’t so tragic) that given the proofs of His person, those most qualified to determine His identity would be so far off in their judgement! Yet we must admit that good religion has to rejects Jesus. This miracle provides a perfect example of how religious pride breeds a rejection of the only true God.

Jealousy and pride may be found in every religion, and sad to say, even within Christianity – or should I say Christendom? Denominational claims of superiority over other groups of believers is a blight that hurts the church constantly.

What was the message for the original audience?

The message to the original audience?

It was, for the crowd, a message of amazement, a message that this itinerant preacher was constantly astounding those who came to Him. He performed mighty works that had not been seen before, and the multitude of various and diverse disabilities brought to Him did not limit His abilities to heal.

For the Pharisees, the message was received with mockery, disdain and disbelief, producing a verdict associating the Judge of all the earth as being in cahoots with the His arch enemy. Consider this reaction by the Pharisees. It is illogical, due to their pride twisting a normal thought process upside down, eliminating a thoughtful conclusion. Pride forces, against all proofs, a ridiculous conclusion that brings pain and sorrow on the ones living in that pride. Pride truly goes before destruction!

What is the message for us today?

Two reactions to the Lord’s ministry is provided for us in this mighty work.

Amazement

As those in the crowd, we may experience amazement over His grace to all in need, even to those who have no faith, as this mute man brought by his friends seems to exhibit. Each of the miracles, and each of His messages, should produce a level of amazement in our hearts. He is beyond our understanding, and this is good to remember. When He becomes like you and I in our thoughts, and we see Him as we see ourselves, we lose.

Pride

As for the reaction of the Pharisees, as believers, we are to remember that pride is the death knell of the Christian life. Pride of religious association brought the Pharisees to an erroneous conclusion concerning the identity of their Messiah. You see, the Pharisees “knew” they were right and looked down on those who were the unwashed. They were the righteous ones, the ones “in the know”, the only ones with truth, and as the pure and wise arbiters of truth for the theocracy of Israel, felt they had to protect their sheep and make a public judgement against Jesus.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

As we have seen in this miracle, one of the fallouts of religious pride is a rebellion against God and His Messiah. This religious rebellion produces many toxins within the Body of Christ, one of which is division within the Body.

Paul saw the damage of pride in the body when he wrote to the Corinthians. Consider his appeal to the Corinthians when he writes of their allegiance and pride of association to multiple parties in the church. He is shocked by the tribalism of the Corinthian church, and seeks an agreement of mind and judgement.

It may be wise to consider any attitude we may harbor toward other Christian groups, denominations, churches, associations and such, for if we judge our group to be superior to others, we may have fallen into the Pharisee trap.

It didn’t turn out well for them, for the very nation they thought they were protecting became the very nation that had one generation left before destruction. The Pharisees, fueled by religious pride, brought destruction to the nation that they were tasked to protect.

As a tonic to this toxin, consider Micah’s admonition for our final application out of todays miracle, for I fear our modern church, consisting of the modern Christian, finds the Pharisee trap very appealing for their religious life.

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

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