The Crumbs from the Master's Table

Jesus and His disciples spent some time in the region of Gennesaret. While they were there, the people of that region brought all who had various ailments to the marketplaces and the countryside in hopes of just touching Jesus, even to just touch the hem of His garment. They believed that if they could touch Him, they would be made well.

Matthew 15:21 says, "Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon." Tyre was about thirty-two miles northwest of Gennesaret, located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, in what is modern-day Lebanon. Tyre is about twelve miles north of the modern-day border between Lebanon and Israel. Sidon is located about fifteen miles north of Tyre, also on the shore of the Mediterranean.

When Jesus arrives in the region between Tyre and Sidon, things begin to get interesting. "And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, 'Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.' But He answered her not a word" (vv. 22-23a). She was concerned for her daughter because she was demon-possessed, so she sought out Jesus and pled for His help. But Jesus did nothing! He didn't answer her! He didn't even speak to her!

The passage continues: "And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, 'Send her away, for she cries out after us'" (v. 23b). She was apparently seeking help from the disciples, perhaps trying to get them to encourage Jesus to help her. It had come to the point where she was more annoying than anything. So the disciples went to Jesus, not to encourage Him to help her, but to ask Him to get rid of her and send her away!

"But He answered and said, 'I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel'" (v. 24). In earshot of this woman, He reminded His disciples that the Father sent Him to Israel to reach those who were lost, not to the Gentiles.

Having heard what was said, she responded in faith. "Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Lord, help me!' But He answered and said, 'It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs'" (vv. 25-26). Jesus wasn't about to let the Word of God be trampled under the feet of the heathen or unbelievers.

But note this woman's profound response: "And she said, 'Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table'" (v. 27). Wow! How true this is. Even the crumbs from the Master's table bring nourishment to the soul and salvation to the heart of all who seek Jesus.

"Then Jesus answered and said to her, 'O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.' And her daughter was healed from that very hour" (v. 28). Again, Jesus recognized great faith. When He sees great faith, He rewards it. Here Jesus gave this woman her heart's desire. Her daughter was healed. The demon was cast out.

Jesus will reward you with your heart's desire as well, but you must trust Jesus. Come into His presence and lay your needs before Him. Come to His throne in faith and leave it all at His feet, and He will meet your needs. He will give you your heart's desire. He will give you His very best for you. Amen.

If They Might Just Touch Jesus

After Jesus came to His disciples walking on the water, they immediately came to shore at Bethsaida, several miles northeast of Capernaum. From there they went back across the sea and "came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there" (Mark 6:53).

Gennesaret is from a Hebrew word perhaps meaning, "princely gardens." It is a small, fertile plain on the west shore of the Sea of Galilee, about three miles southwest of Capernaum. It is the plain where Jesus earlier fed the five thousand.

"And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him" (v. 54). Jesus had sent the crowds home after feeding them with a young boy's lunch, but they had begun to gather again along the shore, anticipating His return. It didn't take any time at all for them to know that He was back.

So they "ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was" (v. 55). Wherever Jesus went throughout that region, the sick were brought to Him, looking to be healed. "Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment" (v. 56a).

If they might just touch Jesus! That was the thinking of the people. They didn't ask Him to lay hands on all of those who were sick. They didn't ask Him to pray for their healing. They asked nothing of Jesus. They asked only that "they might just touch the hem of His garment" (v. 56a). That's all; if they could just touch Him, they believed they would be healed.

What great faith on the part of these people! If they could just touch Him, if they could just touch His garment, they would be healed. Mark concludes, "And as many as touched Him were made well" (v. 56b). It was as they believed. All who touched Jesus were healed. No one was left out. All who trusted Jesus saw their every need met.

The same holds true today. Trust Jesus; come and touch Jesus, and He will meet your every need. Amen.

Walking on Water

When He finished His Sermon on the Mount, "immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away" (Matt. 14:22). "And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there" (v. 23).

It wasn't unusual for Jesus to find time to get away from the crowds, and even from His disciples, to spend time alone with God the Father in prayer. In fact, it is so common in Scripture, it appears He did so nearly every day. Thus, Jesus set the example for us to follow. We ought to set aside at least a little time every day to spend in prayer.

Remember, Jesus was now alone on the shore, because His disciples took the boat as instructed and left for the other side of the Sea of Galilee. We are told, "But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary" (v. 24).

"Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea" (v. 25). In the time of Jesus, the Jews had adopted the Roman system of dividing the night. "The fourth watch off the night" (v. 25a) refers to the pre-dawn hours from 3:00 to 6:00am.

Just imagine how the disciples might have reacted to the sight of Jesus walking on the water just as the light was beginning to dawn, perhaps causing His body to appear to have an aura about Him. It must have been a shocking and almost frightening sight! "And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a ghost!' And they cried out for fear" (v. 26).

Jesus wasted no time in calming their fears: "But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid'" (v. 27). "Be of good cheer" (v. 27b) is a way of saying, "Take courage!" or "Be encouraged!" Then in encouraging them not to be afraid, He said, 'It is I' (v. 27b), or literally, "I Am!" He identified Himself as the Lord, the Son of God, by specifically referring to Himself as, "I Am," the technical name of God, the personal name of God, as given to Moses in Exodus 3:14.

Then something very interesting happened. Jesus was not the only one who walked on water early that morning. Peter joined Him in walking on water! "And Peter answered Him and said, 'Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.' So He said, 'Come.' And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus" (Matt. 14:28-29). It is amazing what you can do when the Lord is in it and Jesus has commanded it, and you never take your eyes off of Jesus.

"But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, 'Lord, save me!' And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?' And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Truly You are the Son of God'" (vv. 30-33).

Peter walked on water, but only while he kept his eyes on Jesus! As soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus, looking at the waves of the sea that surrounded him, he began to sink! That is how it is with us as well. Keep your eyes on Jesus and follow Him faithfully, and you can do anything. But if you quit looking at Jesus and you look at the problems of life around you, you will begin to sink. When that happens, follow the example of Peter. Look again to Jesus and seek His help. He is the one who will take your hand and lift you up. Amen.

The Stirring of the Water

Each year there are several celebrations of the Jews, known as feasts, occurring primarily in Jerusalem. Many people throughout Israel traveled to Jerusalem to partake in these feasts. Jesus and His disciples were no exception. John says, "After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem" (John 5:1).

John continues, "Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches" (v. 2). As the story goes, "In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had" (vv. 3-4).

Many an objection has been raised concerning the believability of this story. Could this actually have happened? Did an angel actually come down and stir the waters of this pool? Were people actually miraculously cured of various diseases in this way? It seems hard to believe!

Throughout Scripture, angels are seen ministering and serving us in various ways. If they can miraculously guard us and protect us, why could they not be instrumental in healing us as well? Afterall, John wrote this under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. Certainly, I believe this could have happened, and it most certainly did happen at this time in history.

However, for this one certain man who had long been trying to be the first in the water, it was not the stirring of the water that healed him; it was Jesus! "Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, 'Do you want to be made well?'" (vv. 5-6).

"The sick man answered Him, 'Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me'" (v. 7). "Jesus said to him, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk.' And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked (vv. 8-9a).

John continues, "And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, 'It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed'" (vv. 9b-10). The Jews, especially the Jewish leaders, were always looking for a way to accuse Jesus of being disobedient to God. They wanted to pull the people away from Jesus. They wanted the people to reject Jesus and follow them instead.

"He answered them, 'He who made me well said to me, "Take up your bed and walk."' Then they asked him, 'Who is the man who said to you, "Take up your bed and walk?"' But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place" (vv. 11-13).

It is obvious here that this man did not yet know Jesus as his Lord and Savior. In fact, he didn't know Jesus at all! He had no clue, even as to His name. Still, Jesus healed this man. What grace! What  mercy! Jesus is indeed a loving God.

"Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, 'See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.' The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well" (vv. 14-15). He found him in the temple because, as a good Jew, he was likely offering the sacrifices required in the Law of Moses because of his cleansing.

The important thing is that He now knew Jesus. Even though he revealed Him to the Jews, still he knew Jesus. And that makes all the difference. He is warned that should he not continue to live by his faith in Jesus, the end could be worse than at first.

If you fall back into your old sin because your faith wasn't sincere, it wasn't real, then you are looking at eternal hellfire. If your faith is real but you still fall back into your old life of sin, your life will be miserable, but should God take you home early, you "will be saved, yet so as through fire" (1 Cor. 3:15b). Live by faith in Jesus, and you will not go wrong. Amen.

A Mute Man Speaks

The two blind men, having received their sight, left the house (Matt. 9:32a). "As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed" (v. 32). No rest for the weary! It seems that Jesus didn't even have a chance to catch His breath. Two leave, having been healed, and another man is brought in.

This man was a mute; he could not speak. He was probably unable to speak for some time. He was also demon-possessed. The two conditions are most likely connected. The demon that controlled him wouldn't let him speak. Jesus knew that the way to heal the man's voice was to cast out the demon; and Jesus did just that. He cast out the demon, setting this man free!

In a very matter-of-fact manner, we are told, "And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke" (v. 33a). Just like that, the man was set free as the demon was cast out, and for the first time in a long time, the man began to speak.

What a miracle! The Scripture continues, "And the multitudes marveled, saying, 'It was never seen like this in Israel!'" (v. 33b). The crowd that was following Jesus, was dumbfounded. Never had they witnessed such a great miracle in Israel throughout its long and storied history.

The crowd marveled; but the Pharisees were troubled. Jesus continued to steal their thunder. The multitudes continued to follow Jesus instead of following them. They declared to the people, "He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons" (v. 34).

This same thought was raised by the scribes in Mark 3:22, where Jesus responded, "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end" (vv. 23b-26).

One greater than Satan, one much stronger than Satan, has cast out this demon. That one, of course, is Jesus Christ. He is God's Son, our Lord and Savior. Trust Him! Never forget, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4b). Amen.

According to Your Faith

After healing the daughter of Jairus and bringing her back to life, "Jesus departed from there" and "two blind men followed Him" (Matt. 9:27a). They kept "crying out and saying, 'Son of David, have mercy on us!'" (v. 27b).

"When He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him" (v. 28a). What house? I can't say definitively, but Jairus served in a synagogue and they were in the vicinity of Capernaum, so this is most likely the home of Peter, where Jesus usually stayed when in the area.

"Jesus said to them, 'Do you believe that I am able to do this?'" (v. 28b). He was interested in what they believed. Did they know who He was and did they believe that He could restore their sight? "They said to Him, 'Yes, Lord'" (v. 28c). They did understand, and they believed! Belief is important in having your prayers heard and answered.

"Then He touched their eyes, saying, 'According to your faith let it be to you.' And their eyes were opened" (vv. 29-30a). Belief and faith go hand-in-hand. Jesus encouraged them to confess their faith in Him, but He was the one who healed. Their faith was important, but it did not heal them. Jesus healed them by the power of His grace.

Again, "Jesus sternly warned them, saying, 'See that no one knows it'" (v. 30b). As we have noted before, it is not yet time for a full revelation of who Jesus is. Yet, as usual, these two men pay no attention, but spread the news of their healing by Jesus to everyone who would listen "in all that country" (v. 31).

It is important to understand, as Jesus taught here, our faith is important in having our prayers heard and answered, but our faith does not answer our prayers, nor does faith heal us. Jesus does. By the power of His grace, Jesus answers prayers and heals. Amen.

Little Girl, Arise!

"When Jesus returned" from the region of the Gadarenes to the shores of the Sea of Galilee near the city of Capernaum, "the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him" (Luke 8:40). Many people waited with great anticipation for Jesus to return and preach the Word of God, as well as to heal those among them who suffered from various ailments.

"And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying" (vv. 41-42a). Jairus was essentially the head of the synagogue. He was responsible for the maintenance of the synagogue building and the organization of the worship services (what we today would call a trustee or a deacon).

As Jesus was going with Jairus to his home (v. 42b), a woman made her way through the crowd, "touched the border of His garment," and was healed (v. 44). Jesus acknowledged her healing, and "while He was still speaking" with her, someone from Jairus' home came and said, "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher" (v. 49).

Jesus heard what was said, turned to Jairus and said, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well" (v. 50). What a word of comfort that must have been! Yet somehow, even though that word came from Jesus, I can imagine that Jairus was still overtaken by grief. Who wouldn't be? I know I would be. It would seem that actually seeing her alive is what would help the most.

"When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl" (v. 51). Outside the home there was quite a scene. According to tradition, people gathered and "all wept and mourned for her" (v. 52a). But Jesus said to them, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping" (v. 52b). They then began to ridicule Him because they knew "she was dead" (v. 53).

Jesus then went into her room, "took her by the hand and called, saying, 'Little girl, arise'" (v. 54). We know that she had indeed died because her spirit or soul had left her body. When Jesus said to her, "Arise" (v. 54b), "her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat" (v. 55).

Of course, "her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened" (v. 56). Again, it wasn't time for Him to be fully revealed as to who He is and why He came. But the people outside would figure it out when they saw the little girl alive and well.

Any time Jesus speaks to your heart and mind with that still small voice, take note. Listen to what the Lord says and trust Him. He will never fail you. He will take care of your needs and bless you greatly. Again, just trust Jesus. Amen.