Why Do We Follow?
Jesus, and Peter, walked on water in the middle of a storm. How many times have we heard this event? Peter’s faith and then doubt are legendary. We have used this account as the theme for biblical events and Sunday School summer programs. “Get out of the boat!” has become a battle cry amongst Christians who long to operate with greater faith. As with all the great biblical accounts, we can become so familiar with the events that we dismiss the opportunity to study the lesson, but there is a lot of wonderful information hidden in this story.
From the beginning of our reading today, we learn a profound truth of Christ: He has no desire for hordes of insincere and selfish followers. After feeding the 5,000, Jesus surely had amassed an even greater following. Imagine having a leader who could summon food from the sky! In a practical sense, the people had to have thought of the possibilities of using this ability in a standoff with Rome. In fact, John tells us that the crowds “intended to come and make him king by force.” (John 6:15) For those who didn’t have political aspirations, the allure of never having to work to provide food for your family had to have been great. Jesus’ act of compassion on the people quickly became a beacon for a whole host of selfishly motivated people. Jesus wanted none of it. He desires pure hearts that honestly seek him and the kingdom of God, and so he sent the crowds away.
Jesus also sent his disciples away. We aren’t told whether he sent them away to keep them safe or to keep them from joining in the “make him king” sentiment that was rising amongst the people. After sending everyone away, scripture tells us “he went up into the hills by himself to pray.” Making time to spend alone with his Heavenly Father defines Jesus’ earthly ministry. As the crowds grew large, this had to have become harder and harder for him to achieve. Still, Jesus made time and created opportunities to pray. How often do we give the excuse that we are too busy to pray? How many times do I begin to pray only to find myself mentally going through my To-Do List or rethinking some silly thing from the day? Better question: How often do I intentionally carve out a section of my day to devote to prayer? I think this is an area most of us could use with some improvement. Jesus made prayer a priority. Before doing miraculous things, he prayed. After sharing of himself, he prayed. When he struggled, he prayed. When he rejoiced, he prayed. He gave us a pattern to follow and showed us how to be committed to the act of prayer. He showed us the importance of spending time alone with God. Corporate prayer is a wonderful and powerful thing, but nothing compares to alone time with our Lord. If we are to continue in God’s strength through our daily battles, we need to spend time alone with God in prayer.
Before Jesus stepped onto the waters of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus taught us two very important lessons. These actions that set up one of the greatest stories of faith and doubt challenge us still today. The Lord moves in mysterious ways but never selfish ones. We must be careful not to seek the Lord for what we can gain or profit from the relationship. True worship is never selfish, but always desperate for more of God. If we are desperate for the Lord, we will make time to be alone and pray. We will follow even if no earthly reward accompanies the journey.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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