St Matthew, Chapter 8, verse: 23-24, The Gathering Storm.

Our paragraph topic is: (The storm on the lake) Part 1. 

23 Then he got into a boat, and his disciples followed him.  24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was covered by the waves;but he was asleep.

Christ ordered the disciples to go across the sea when he saw the great crowds gathering.  The word had spread of his  popularity and all the crowds came to see him.  And out of the woodwork came all who wanted to be near him.  The groupies wanted to follow him.  His disciples made excuses to leave him.  And he had no place to rest.  He got into the boat and set sail for the other side of the lake.  Christ slept while they were traveling across the lake.  Matthew tells us that a great storm arose on the sea and the boat was covered by the waves.  But Christ was asleep in the boat.

Christ had just spoke to a groupie telling him that the Son of Man had no place to lay his head.  He had no place to move away from the gathering crowds of people.  He was like a movie star that draws crowds wherever they go.  He had to have people to protect him and to be around him at all times lest he is mobbed by the people.  Yet he was God made flesh like all other humans and required rest for his human body.

And the world raged on around him.  The seas churned, the waves lashed against the boat, and the waters began to wash into the boat, filling it to near flooding.  The disciples were panicking.  They did not know what to do.  They tried to bail out the water but it was too much for them.  They were lashed about by the waves.  They were thrown hither and yonder by the winds.  They fought for their lives under the overflow of the waves.  They were afraid.  They feared for their lives.  And Christ was asleep in the boat.

How often we face the same situations in our lives where turmoil surrounds us.  We see our lives going down in destruction.  We fear the worst for ourselves when change comes about that threatens our livelihoods.  The waves of tribulation flood into our boat and we are lost not knowing what to do.  We frantically try to bail out the water without any success.  The waters of destruction overwhelm us leaving us frustrated and fearful.  We panic.  We live in a state of stress.  We are angry at what has happened to us.  We seek answers and find something to blame.  We live in the past constantly reliving what we could have done to change our current circumstances.  We do everything that we know to do, relying on our human strength to bring about a change.

In the previous paragraphs Christ has given us examples of authority, miracles of restoration, and opportunities of faith to lead us along the path.  He is traveling somewhere and wants us to follow.  He tells his disciple to follow him.  He tells him to let the dead bury the dead implying that the living should be with him.  And now in the mist of the worldly storm he sleeps.  Should we sleep also following his example?  Should we place our trust in him and not worry about what we see around us?  Should we believe in his authority that will protect and guide us to safe shores?  Or should we see the gathering storm and fear?  Should we panic and use our human powers in an attempt to deliver us from the storm?  Christ is asleep in the boat.  Shouldn't we also rest with him?  Shouldn't we also be at peace with him? 
   

23

St Matthew, Chapter 8, verse: 21-22, The Gathering Storm.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Sacrifice to follow Christ) Part 2.  

We continue our discussion on this topic of Miracles under the heading of sacrifices to follow Christ.  As we talked about before the word has gone out and the crowds have gathered to where Christ is preaching.  He has given orders to his disciples that they are going across the sea.  All kinds of people are coming out of the woodwork to see him, to follow him, to question him, to take advantage of him, to marvel at him, to ridicule him.  And we can be assured that those who would do him harm, those who have evil intentions against him, those who are possessed of evil, are out to see him also.

So under this guise many people are saying things to him.  Those wannabe groupies have come out also.  One groupie has said to him, Lord I will follow you wherever thou goest.  In these verses another groupie tells him the same thing but with a contingency.  He says,  "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."   Christ in return says something that is well worth remembering.  He tells this disciple:  "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."   Christ calls those who are not following him dead.  Those who do not hear his words he calls dead.  Those who are not witness to his miracles he calls dead.

This must have been a shock to those who heard it.   The disciple who asked this question was asking permission of Christ to take a leave of absence.  He was asking Christ if he could be excused for this reason, to bury his father.  Christ, in his response, did not give recognition to the disciple's excuse.  He did not say to him it is a good reason for you to leave, to bury your father.  Christ said to the disciple that he did not have a valid reason to leave.  In his words he told the disciple that there was no reason for him to leave.  His father was already dead and those that are already dead would bury him.  And that statement infers that the disciple was alive but the others were dead.

How often do we hear excuses to following Christ?  I don't have enough time.  I am too busy to go to church.  I don't read the bible because it is to difficult to read.  I often told myself, many years ago, that I would take time out to read the bible when I was settled enough and had the time to spare.  I look back on those times and think how foolish I was in making such an excuse.  My life was in the world and I did not know it.  My life was focused on living in the world and I did not know it.  My life was set on being successful in the world and this was what I knew.  My life was the world and as a result my life was dead. 

I had no life.  It was full of drugs.  It was full of lust.  It was full of selfishness, I only wanted for me and only me.  It was full of desire for the world and greed.  And I was dead.  I came to a crossroads in my life I had to make a decision as to which direction to take.  I was out of control and needed help.  I asked God for help and he reached out and took my hand and led me.  He turned my life around and provided for me when I could not provide for myself.  He opened small doors for me when my ego and selfish pride demanded that I fight for bigger doors to be opened.  He led me with baby steps keeping me on the path that leads to him.  

Today I have life in me.  Today I have joy.  Today I have peace.   Today I trust in his wisdom for me and I know that he provides for me.  What excuse do you have today?  What excuses do we use to not follow Christ?  Why do you not follow Christ?  Why do you not hear his words everyday?  Why do you not have life within you?  Are you dead?  Let the dead bury the dead!
   

St Matthew, Chapter 8, verses: 18-20, The Gathering Storm.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Sacrifice to follow Christ) Part 1.  

Christ now begins to set the stage for his travels.  He is moving around in the territory meeting people, curing the sick, healing the lame, and casting out demons.  Matthew begins this paragraph by telling us that Christ recognized that great crowds were gathering around him wherever he went.  The word had spread, his location was known, and people begin to gather to him.  They wanted to touch him.  They wanted to hear him.  They wanted to see him.  They wanted to be where he was.  All, were coming out of the woodwork to be around this great movement that was taking place.  

Christ had now become very popular.  What could we compare him to in our time?  Could he be a great movie star?  Could he be a great rock star?  Could he be a president?  What comparison could we make to him today?  In his time, the word spread by word of mouth.  There must have been those who wanted to use him to make money.  There must have been those who wanted him to meet influential people.  There must have been those who wanted him to speak at special gatherings.  But Christ had his own agenda and his mission.  He did not come to be popular.  He did not come to have fame and fortune.  He did not come to be a movie star or a rock star.  He came to heal.  He came to cast out.  He came to teach.  He came to restore. 

The people of his time had forgotten the joy of their God.  Christ came to restore that joy.  Christ came to demonstrate that there is a true God.  Christ came to give back the love and peace that comes with the knowledge of the one true God.  Christ came to build faith.  Christ came to restore trust.  Christ came to show the people that God lives.  And the crowds gathered.  Realizing that the storm was gathering he gave orders to his disciples to go across the sea.  He gave orders that they should get into their boats and go to another place.  He gave orders and they were fulfilled.

When crowds gather, all kinds of people come forth.  There are those who are genuine in their faith and love.  But there are those who were seeking opportunity.  When a large event takes place today, like maybe the Superbowl or World Cup Soccer, everyone wants to come to the event.  The scalpers come out.  The divas come out looking for players.  The hustlers come out looking for suckers.  The police are out to maintain the crowds.  The promoters are there.  The people that work the event  are working.  The big names come out to get their special seating at the event.  The fans are there to see their favorite stars.  And those who can not attend watch from their homes on televisions.  Everyone comes out to see.  And so it was in Christ's time. 

And here it was, a scribe, a fan, a groupie that follows everywhere the group goes, came out to be a part of this event.  The groupie told Christ that he would follow him where ever he goes.  The scribe said:  "Master, I will follow thee wherever thou goest."   Christ said to the groupie:  "The foxes have dens, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."   

Christ tells us that this is the way it must be.  Everyone has a place of rest, even the animals. But the place of rest for the Son of Man is not on this earth.  For he will be the object of pursuit from this point on and there will be no rest for him.  He told his disciples, "Let us go across the sea."  For the pursuit of those seeking opportunity weighed greatly upon him.  He told his disciples let us cross the sea to get away from the great crowds.  He told his disciples, let us cross the sea, to rest.