St. Matthew, Chapter 22, verse: 17a; Tell us thy thoughts.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Tribute to Caesar) Part 4. 

Now that the foundation was laid the real question comes.  They want to know the inner workings of his mind since they have laid the trap for him and set the parameters surrounding what they thought would be his response.  They were wise in their own conceited way.  They believed that they were knowledgeable enough to know more than this simple man called Jesus. They had met many others like him and brought about their downfall.

They did not know.  They did not understand.  They were blinded by their own arrogance and conceit in thinking that this man was the same as the others that they had met.  This was the Messiah, the living Christ, Son of God the Father.  But they did not know him.  So they asked him:  "Tell us, therefore, what dost thou think?" 

They wanted to know his thoughts, how he processes the questions that they would ask of him, and how he would respond since he is a man of truth and teaches the way of God.  They had set this trap with the knowledge of how they thought that he would respond but their knowledge was limited.  Their knowledge was flawed, their knowledge was human.  It was influenced by the desires of evil and wickedness that drove them to be blind to the truth that was before them, drove them to be deaf to the word that came to them, they could not hear, drove them to not believe in wisdom that had come down through the ages from the prophets that came before him.  They were lost without hope.  But they wanted to know his thought even though they could not comprehend them.  They could only anger at how their plan would fail.    

Yet Christ was loving.  Christ was gentle.  Christ was understanding in his knowledge of where they were and what they were doing.  He offered a way out.  He is merciful in that he never relents in his mercy.  He never stops offering his mercy to us no matter what we do, no matter how often we turn away, no matter how often we let go of him, he is always there waiting for us to call out to him.  He hears our voice.  He knows our cry and he will come to our aid if we are true to him in our need.  

That inner voice will tell us to give up, to not believe, to end it all.  But I am here to say that he, Our Father, is real.  Our God will come.  Our God will provide.  Our God does love you and will demonstrate his love for you everyday.  Patience is the key.  Belief is the way.  Once you taste the fruit of his love you will know that there is nothing else on this earth that will satisfy you.  You will walk your hand in his hand and no one or nothing can take that away.  And now your  journey begins.  

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 20b - 21, The Needs of the People: All are Satisfied and the Leftovers

Our paragraph topic is:  (Jesus feeds five thousand) Part 4.  

All ate and were satisfied.  The people were in need.  They needed food.  They needed guidance.  They needed leadership.  They needed hope.  All were in need.  John the Baptist was their voice in the wilderness.  John preached repentance.  John showed the people the way to salvation and told them that the Messiah was coming.  John gave the people hope.  And then John was no more.  And chaos came.  And doubt came.  And fear came and the people did not know what to do.  But Christ came and saw their hopelessness.  Christ came and saw their needs.  Christ came and had compassion and all were satisfied.  For he healed the sick, cured the lame, opened the eyes of the blind and fed the multitudes.

The disciples did not understand.  The disciples did not see.  The disciples did not know who they were and who they were becoming in Christ.  For he told them to feed the people themselves.  But they wanted to send them away for they were fearful of the needs of the people.  But Christ satisfied their needs.  Christ fulfilled the needs of the people and showed his disciples what they were to do.  Do not send the people away because you do not understand!  Feed the people.  Christ told his disciples, bring them here to him and he would satisfy their needs.  And so he demonstrated to the disciples what they were to do when they are faced with the needs of the people.  Bring them here to Christ and he will satisfy their every need.

And they all eat and were satisfied.  For Christ blessed the five loaves and the two fishes, broke them and gave them to is disciples to give to the people.  And the baskets were passed around to the people.  The people took their fill from the baskets and the baskets replenished themselves.  The baskets did not empty.  The baskets did not overflow.  The baskets continued to fill the needs of the people and the miracle took place before their very eyes.  And when every one had taken of the baskets and no one was left to take from the baskets, the baskets stopped replenishing itself.  And as the people broke the bread and the fish and ate, the bread and fish replenished itself and all were filled.

And when the people stopped breaking the bread and the fishes, the bread and the fish stopped replenishing itself and there were leftovers.    And they gathered up what was left over, twelve baskets full of fragments.   Now the number of those who had eaten was five thousand men, without counting women and children.

Five thousand men were fed.  Many women and children were fed.  All were satisfied.  All ate till they were filled.  And the baskets stopped replenishing and the bread and the fish stopped replenishing when all were filled.  And there was no one left to take from the baskets or no one left to break the bread and the fish.  But twelve baskets were left from the five loaves and the two fishes.  The miracle took place before their eyes and all were amazed that had eaten.  For Christ had satisfied their needs and no one was sent away.

Why do we not have miracles today like this one?  Why do our disciples of today not feed the people?  Why do our disciples of today send the people away?  Each Sunday and everyday of the week the people come to places of worship in need.  They come seeking faith.  They come seeking hope.  They come seeking to have their needs met and are sent away with crumbs without being filled.  And they return again to receive the crumbs and are sent away without being filled.  Christ said bring them to me.  And yet the people are not being brought to him.  Can we go to Christ and be filled?  Can we go to Christ and not thirst again?  Can we go to Christ and see  the miracle take place before our eyes? 

How do we go to Christ?  How do our disciples, our pastors, our ministers, lead us to Christ?  Do they know how to lead us to him?  What is the path to Christ?  Have they been lead to Christ themselves?  Will we have to come back again and again to only receive crumbs or will we be filled, no longer needing temporary satisfaction?  Christ said, bring them to me.  He will satisfy their needs.  How do we know when we are with Christ?  Can we tell when we are with Christ?  What sign do we have to know that Christ is with us?  How can we know? 

Each Sunday we listen to sermons on various subjects from the bible by ministers and preachers.  Can they show us how to come to Christ?  Have they come to Christ that they can show us the path to have Christ with us?  What must we do?  What is the way?  How do we receive Christ within us that we no longer thirst?  For he will satisfy our needs.  He will not send us away.  He will come and abide with us that we may know.  And he will give us a sign that we may know the truth of who we are in him.  For through him, and in him, and with him, we become one with the father.  Come, ministers and preachers, feed the people.  Bring them to Christ!  Show them the way that they may be satisfied eternally!

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 13 - 14, The Needs of the people: Christ's compassion.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Hunger of the crowd) Part 1.  

And so it was.  John the Baptist was murdered by Herod, Herodias and her daughter, agents of evil.  They had planned their plot with the advice of evil and carried it out.  John had warned the people of the evil of Herod.  John had spoken to them about his lies and deceit.  And John was imprisoned for speaking out against evil.  For evil wanted to silence John the Baptist.  Evil wanted to put John to death.  Evil wanted to stop John from winning souls to Christ.  John baptised the people.  John preached to the people of repentance.  John won souls for Christ and turned people against the evil that existed in the kingdom.  And evil wanted him dead.  And so it was.  John was murdered and sent home to his father.  His mission accomplished on this earth to prepare the way for Christ.

And the disciples of John came and removed his headless body from the prison and gave him a proper burial.  For Herod and Herodias were gloating over the head of John the Baptist.  They were rejoicing to his lifeless head how they had triumphed over him.  And evil watched on the sidelines as they became embolden in their merriment of their power.  For the people did not revolt.  The people did not cry out in shame over the death of John.  But the word spread how Herod was against his death and how he swore an oath to Herodias' daughter to give her anything that she asked for her reward to dance at his birthday party before the people.  Their plan was crafty.  Their plan was deceitful.  Their plot was carried out flawlessly.  And they rejoiced over the death of John the Baptist.

And the word spread of the death of John the Baptist.  The people were lost.  The people were in need and without a guide.  The people were in chaos.  For John was their leader.  John was their prophet.  John was their sign, pointing to the Messiah.  They were in need.   When Jesus heard this, he withdrew by boat to a desert place apart; but the crowds heard of it and followed him on foot from the towns.  And when he landed, he saw a large crowd, and out of compassion for them he cured their sick. 

Jesus traveled by boat and the crowds traveled by foot.  And they were in need.  A great loss had taken place here on earth and a new beginning was unfolding.  And the people were in chaos.  They new not where to go.  They knew not what to do.  They knew not any more of John the Baptist so they turned to Christ for their answers.  And the word spread of the loss of John the Baptist.  And the word spread of the whereabouts of Christ.  The people were in need and when Christ landed and saw the crowds he was moved with compassion because of their need for direction, their need to believe, their need for hope, their need for guidance.  And he gave them their direction.  He gave them their hope.  He gave them their belief.  He showed them that God was still with them and he cured their sick.

The time is coming and is almost here.  Chaos is coming.  Unbelief is coming.  Doubt is coming.  Fear is here.  And the people are lost and without direction.  With the uncertainty in the world today, people are feeling uncertain.  People are loosing faith.  People are loosing hope for themselves and their God.  For the evil one is bringing about uncertainty that the people will know doubt.  The evil one is bringing about uncertainty that the people will loose their belief.  The evil one is bring about uncertainty that the people will loose their hope and open the door to fear. 

There is no fear in Christ.  There is no doubt in Christ.  There is no uncertainty in Christ.  For all things are in Christ.  There is no impossibility in Christ for all things are in Him.  Those who know will stand tall in this time of uncertainty.  Those who are rooted will not be moved by uncertainty.  Those who believe will see the truth come forth in spite of the fear and doubt in the world.  And those who practice perfect patience in the Lord will see the certainty of his love.  Christ is Lord of all and he sits at the right hand of God our Father in heaven.