 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, 2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, 4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. 6 But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, 7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. 10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand 13 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.14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 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.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 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. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Jesus Walks on the Water 22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way[b] from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.26 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. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret 34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. Meditation Jesus has compassion for you. In love, Jesus wants to meet you in the storms of life to reveal Himself more fully to you. One truth Jesus wants you to know: He is your God who loves you and cares for you. A contrast of two kings sets the table for the contrasting messages in our culture. King Herod throws a banquet marked with debauchery and death, motivated by sensuality and insecurity (1-12). King Jesus feeds multitudes through a miracle and His banquet gives life, satisfaction, and truth (13-21). Jesus, motivated by compassion, desires to satisfy you with His love. Three responses to God’s workings help diagnose how we receive the one key truth. Herod heard the prophet of God and had John the Baptist killed. The crowds consumed the healing, teaching, and feeding of Jesus but never said a word or worshiped. The disciples were stuck in a storm when Jesus goes to them. “Take heart, it is I! Do not be afraid.” Jesus reveals Himself in the storm. Discerning disciples receive God’s rescue and proclaim, “Truly, you are the Son of God!” (22-33). Kings of our world are threatened by the King of the world. Crowds consume the things of Christ but do not crown Him as King. Disciples go to Jesus in the storm and discover Christ is truly the King of Kings! Jesus meets us personally to reveal His love, care, and compassion. Jesus is your God who loves you and cares for you. Jesus calls you to come to Him in the storm. Richly Dwelling -Which of the three responses to God’s word do you most identify with- Herod, the crowd, or the disciples? -How does the contrast of two banquets reveal the depth of Christ’s care and compassion for you? -Where do you need to believe the one key truth from today’s reading, that Christ loves you and He cares for you, desiring to meet you in the storm of life? Key Verse 14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Comments are closed.
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