Being Needed by God—A Precious Gift!

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

August 6, 2017

Matthew 14:13-21

Being Needed by God—A Precious Gift!

In the name of the Father

and of the ☩ Son

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen!

Crowds were always following Jesus. Even when Jesus tried to be alone to pray, they found Him. And most of the people who found Him were desperate. They were crippled, they were sick, and they had no where else to go.

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.

MATTHEW 14:14 NIV 1984

But then Jesus’ disciples became afraid that the people that had been healed would be right back in harm’s way.

As evening approached, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

MATTHEW 14:15 NIV 1984

Healing desperate people all day, Jesus had now allowed the food situation to become desperate. But this is how Jesus usually does things. He gives us impossible things to do. Baptize babies and make them alive. Tell sinners that they are sinners and that Jesus has died for them. These are things that should be impossible, but with God they happen. When He speaks through us, the impossible is done.

Jesus demands the impossible from His disciples: “You give them something to eat.” The men had just returned from their time of preaching and miracle-working. Jesus had sent them out and they had returned, filled with excitement and joy. But notice how quickly they had forgotten? They had healed the sick, but even more impossible they had forgiven sinners in the name of Jesus. Now Jesus asks them to get some bread, and they fall to pieces. How quickly they forgot!

How we quickly forget, too. You have come here today and you are hearing me speak about this account from Jesus’ life that has preoccupied my heart and mind all week. But others things have filled your mind with worry. How are the bills going to get paid? Will I pass my latest test? When is the baby going to arrive? Will I get my project for work done in time?

You probably won’t find an unmarked envelope stuffed with cash on the sidewalk. You might not get the answers to the test beamed into your brain. Jesus doesn’t usually send babies gift-wrapped on your doorstep. And you won’t turn on your work computer to find your project all done.

Instead Jesus uses people to do this, usually you. You work and get money to pay the bills. You study and pass the test. Moms have babies. You finish the project.

This is the way He does it.

And He directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

MATTHEW 14:19 NIV 1984

He allows Himself to need His disciples, disciples who worried and disciples who forgot. And He allows Himself to need you, too. To get daily bread to His people, He uses you to work and cook and plan and sacrifice as you care for yourself and for others. What a dear and precious thing it is, to be needed by God Himself in this daily life!

But in one thing, indeed the most important thing of all, Jesus uses no middle men. He didn’t send His disciples or saints or the Virgin Mary to die on the cross to pay for all the evil indifference of the world. He sent Himself.

For even the Son of Man

did not come to be served,

but to serve,

and to give His life

as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45