Just A Thought

I had a new thought today about a story we all know well.  It's the story of Peter and what he does after seeing Jesus walking on water.

Peter gets out of the boat and starts his mission or goal to do what Jesus is doing ... walking on water.  In my mind, I pictured Jesus about 20 or 30 yards away from Peter.  Peter is getting wet from the blowing waves, splashing knee high or so from the storm.

As I pictured this ... a question comes to mind.

When does Peter begin to sink?  It's after he reaches Jesus, after he has fulfilled his mission and goal ... after he had arrived where he thought Jesus wanted him to be.

Peter had to have been right next to Jesus when he started to sink, for all Jesus had to do was to reach out and lift him up.  If so ... this makes it more understandable as to why Jesus asks Peter ... "Why did you doubt?"  He was standing on the water right next to Jesus.

Also notice ... they were still in the storm when Jesus brought up Peter's faith ... not the lack of it ... but the amount of it.  Jesus spoke these words to him ... "O thou of little faith." 

This word "little" that Jesus used is "oligopistos" in the original Greek Bible, pronounced (ol-ig-op'-is-tos) meaning lacking confidence, or puny.  It can also mean "incredulous" ... a person unwilling or unable to believe something.  Could it be that walking on water was something that Peter's life at this time was unable to grasp spiritually.  

But let's not be too hard on Peter.  He is the only one of the disciples who comes down out of the ship based only on the one word from Jesus ... "Come."  (Matthew 14:29)  It is a bold undertaking based on no foundation, no support, no possibility of walking on water ... there is nothing but faith which looks to Jesus for walking on the water.  Peter, as a mere man should sink by the very fact of being there.  But he doesn't yet.

If we can walk on the water, it's by faith ... the storm or the calm makes no difference.  Often circumstances make us forget to keep our eyes upon Jesus, where faith in Him ought to enable us to overcome any storm. 

Notice ...

It was after Peter reached Jesus ... that failure came.  Is there a lesson here?  We should never think that we have arrived or accomplished anything by ourselves.  It's always Jesus.  

Just a thought ...

And The Napkin

John, the disciple that may have had a closer relationship with Jesus than the others usually has something more to say in his narrative about Jesus than the other gospel writers, or at least in my opinion it seems that way.  Once again we find this is the case in the following portion of Scripture ... John 20:1-8 (edited for clarity.)

"The first day of the week, Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb where Jesus was placed and finds the stone that sealed the entrance has been rolled away.  She runs to Peter and John and tells them that the body of Jesus is gone.  John being younger outruns Peter to the tomb but stops at the entrance and only looks in.  When Peter arrives moments later, he goes right on inside as John follows behind him but they find no body, only the linen burial clothes that Jesus had been wrapped in."

The way John writes about this makes me think that like Peter, he saw the linen clothes the body was wrapped in first, evidently because it made a bigger pile.  Then they notice off to the side something strange.  I'll pick up with John's words as he is standing at the entrance waiting for Peter to arrive ...

"Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about His head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself."  

Many Bible scholars have tried to explain why the napkin that had wrapped the head of Jesus was placed off to the side, apart from the rest of the burial clothes.  I will share the following as one example ...

"God through His providence arranged that the napkin would be folded and neatly placed separately in a place by itself as proof that the body of Christ could not have been stolen by the disciples as the chief priests would later say.  If someone would have stolen His body, they would have snatched it away quickly without taking the time to strip the burial clothes from His body and lay them in separate places in an orderly fashion as the napkin was."    

This reasoning does have some merit ... it does sound reasonable.  But I read something the other day that caught my attention.

Back in Jewish society during meal time, before, during, and even after the time of Christ,  people of wealth had maids or kitchen help to serve the meals in the home.  If the man of the house was called away from the meal for any reason he would leave the servants a sign as to what they should expect from him.

If he was finished with his meal he would use his napkin to wipe his mouth and fingers and leave the napkin in a heap by his plate.  But if he intended to return to the table ... he would neatly fold the napkin and place it flat by his plate as a sign to show ... he would return.

Could this be the real reason Jesus folded up the napkin and laid it in a separate place by itself, away from the other linen clothes?  Was He showing the world that He would return again?

Just a thought ...

You Still Win

For a couple of years now, the church that Peg and I attend have been praying for one of our members to be healed of cancer.  But for reasons unknown to us, that was not to be.  She went to be with Jesus a few days ago.

God is in charge of what happens, when it happens, how it happens and why it happens.  This is true of all events from the beginning of time.  He does this for our good and His glory.


Although God is not the author of sin, sickness or disease, He still allows it to operate in the world.  We’re not supposed to understand all this ... we’re simply supposed to accept it.

I have written about this same thing before.  Many times in the past when the outcome was different than what we prayed for, I have asked ... "Why?  Where is the healing?  Isn't God true to His Word?"  Shame on me ... of course He is.

So, what's the answer to the question why?  Honestly, I have to say ... I don't know.  But the Word of God alludes to a few reasons I want to share with you today.

Deuteronomy 29:29 … "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed belong to us …" 

In this verse we see a distinction is made between the secret things and the revealed things.  I believe God only reveals to us what we need to know.  Some things remain hidden from us.  Things like why someone isn't healed.

Proverbs 25:2 … "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing …" 

This statement can cover a whole host of things from how long we live, to what His intentions for your future are.  God doesn't want you to know everything that's going to cross your path.  God will not tell us everything or answer every question we have … including why He does this or that.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 … "Remember also your Creator, that you are not your own, but His property now …"

And is it not true that God, as the potter can make you into any vessel He chooses?  Does He not have that right?  You are His … Jesus bought you with a price … His death on the cross.  And even if you are not a believer, you still belong to God, you are not your own, if only because as your Creator, He made you. 

Isaiah 8:17 … "And I will wait for the Lord, Who is hiding His face … and I will look for and hope in Him."

This is exactly what this dear woman did for the last couple of years ... wait with an earnest hope and a sincere belief in the healing power of God through the stripes placed upon the back of Jesus before He went to the cross.

Some of the time it feels as if God is testing us by leaving us totally alone.  No, He doesn't forsake us … it just seems that way.  Especially when we or our loved ones are sick like this dear saint of God who just went to be with her Lord recently.
 
Isaiah 45:15 … "Truly You are a God who hides Himself …" 

This is the second time Isaiah said something like this.  We have no say in God's business or how He conducts Himself.  I don't know why God heals one person and not another.   

Is it the amount of faith one uses?  Does it take more faith to be healed of cancer than it does to be healed of the common cold?  If it takes great faith ... then most of us are in trouble.  I don't believe in trying to measure faith.  What's the yardstick? 

I question not ... the amount of faith ... but whether or not it is true faith. 
 
Jesus said over and over ... "If you can believe, then ask what you will ..."

1st Corinthians 2:16 … "For who has known or understood the mind and purposes of the Lord …" 

Even in healing ... it's His business and His alone. 

And if God keeps some things secret, it's because …

It's none of our business.

If God heals you ... you win.  If God takes you to Heaven ... you still win.

Keep the faith ... have no fear.