By Chuck Lawless
I love to read the stories of the disciples in the Gospels, yet perhaps for an unexpected reason.
I’m grateful God calls surprising people like the disciples to lead his church, but that’s not the primary reason I love these stories.
It’s encouraging to read about the humanity of these men, but that’s not my first interest.
I love these stories because of what they tell us about Jesus. He’s a God of grace who gives second and third chances. Even for leaders.
His patience is beyond comprehension. Amazing, actually.
In Mark 6, more than 5,000 people listening to Jesus were hungry, and Jesus challenged his disciples to feed them (vv. 31-44). “That won’t work,” the disciples thought. They didn’t have the food or the money needed to buy food. You might know the story—Jesus multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish, provided enough food for all the people, and showed His creative power. So magnificent was this miracle that all four of the Gospel writers tell the story.
In the next story in Mark, Jesus walked on water toward the disciples in a boat. That scared them, for they thought He was a ghost. When Jesus got in the boat with them, the wind ceased – and the disciples were amazed. What catches my attention is how Mark describes their wonder: “They were completely astounded, because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened” (vv. 51-52). They should have recognized more about Jesus by His power displayed in the feeding of the 5,000, but they didn’t understand yet. They failed to see Him as the sovereign one who can multiply the fish He created and walk on the water He controls.
Some time later, another 4,000+ hungry people were with Jesus (8:1-10). Again He challenged His disciples to meet the need. This time, they started with seven loaves of bread and a few fish among the crowd. The same Jesus in their presence, thousands of people to feed, and again too little food – the scene for a miracle was set. After all, Jesus had multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed 5,000+; surely He could feed 4,000+ with more loaves and fish. We read the story with expectation, waiting to see the Master glorify Himself again.
But, the disciples’ first response was again to question how they could feed that many people with little food. Maybe they had completely forgotten the feeding of the 5,000, but I doubt it. How do you forget that kind of miracle? More likely, they forgot who was with them. They saw the problem rather than the problem solver. Deity was in their midst, but their thinking remained earthly. It happens, you know – we work hard to solve our own problems while the Miracle Worker living within us patiently wants us to know Him better. It’s no surprise we lose our wonder of Jesus when we fail to focus on Him.
Some time after the feeding of the 4,000, the disciples were again in a boat (Mark 8:14-21), where they again faced a food problem. This time, they were stressed because they had not brought enough bread to eat. They had only one loaf to share among them.
Stop here, and read this line slowly again: they were stressed because they had not brought enough bread to eat.
Wouldn’t you hope they would understand more about Jesus by now? Too little bread is not a problem for the Savior. Never has been. Never will be. He is powerful enough to feed the multitudes and personal enough to feed you and me.
Still, we forget. We challenge others to remember God’s power, but we forget it when we’re the ones in need. The closer the need is to us, the harder it is to see God’s sovereign, miraculous hand at work. The circumstances look bigger to us than does the God over the circumstances. I wonder if Jesus might ever ask us what He asked His disciples then, “Do you not yet understand?”
At what point might He give up on us?
You know the answer. He does not give up on us, but not because we are so good. We would be fully deserving if He walked away. He doesn’t give up on us, though, because He trusts His Father’s work in us.
Jesus knows that the story is not about us in the first place. The One who creates us is the One who saves us, protects us, sanctifies us, and glorifies Himself through us. He who is worthy of all praise loves us in spite of our unworthiness. He remembers us even when we forget Him.
In grace, He still uses us as leaders.
Adapted from Nobodies for Jesus (Rainer Publishing, 2013)
Chuck Lawless currently serves as Professor of Evangelism and Missions and Dean of Graduate Studies at Southeastern Seminary. You can connect with Dr. Lawless on both Twitter and Facebook.
photo credit: av320phile via photopin cc
Dr. Lawless –
It is not an exaggeration to say that remembering how Jesus treated the bumbling, stumbling, often clueless disciples helps me make it through my less-than-stellar moments of ministry. Thanks for the timely and spot-on reminder.
I understand, Scott — and feel the same way.
I’m so thankful that God shakes His head at me and says, “Let’s try this again Allen. Maybe you we’ll get it this time.” I’m so glad He never gives up on me when so many people have. Love you Chuck. Between you and Thom, you help me to focus my day better, or shall I say, for His glory.
Thanks, Allen. Blessings!
This article alludes that God is patient, waiting until we understand, or see, or do, what He has called us to do. It is geared toward man being able to do God’s work when they finally get it, finally become aware, and all the while God is just there waiting patiently until it happens. This is a misunderstanding of the Scriptures and the Gospel. Man can do nothing to save themselves. They cannot understand the Scriptures on their own ability. Scripture plainly teaches this, even as this post shows, the Apostles themselves could not do it by themselves.
If we have had any doubt that God’s work is His alone, that we are merely recipients of a mighty Mercy and Grace that allows nothing being contributed by us toward our salvation, sanctification, or that we have all this Spiritual ability on our own to receive, or understand or do His Work like we think it is to be done, this posting showing His Grace and tolerance toward His own Apostles and their failures, even while being there, seeing Jesus doing His Miracles (the Holy Spirit not yet being given them), they are not able to understand or put it all together without the Holy Spirit being given (at Pentecost) to empower them to lead, to suffer, to sacrifice, to write, to be what He has called them to be and do, it should be very clearly seen. Their minds and spirit could not comprehend the magnitude of who Jesus was, or what Jesus was doing until the Holy Spirit enabled them to be able to see, understand, and do what He was about here on Earth.
God bless,
Bill Teal
Thanks, Bill.
My hero is Moses, the Original Pastor. He definitely was the embodiment of Christ, although eventually he lost it. So I can learn from Moses how to be and how not to be. I was reading in my One Year Bible the other day about how Jesus was distressed and angry with the stubbornness of the people, but yet he kept Grace flowing and his composure. I know of a Pastor who was removed from his congregation for “going off one too many times” on a church member. Sad that with all his giftings he is now removed from ministry because of the very issue you have written about! No doubt, the people wore him down, no doubt, the People wore Moses down, (hear you, you band of Rebels) however, JESUS, is for sure our perfect example, and that no matter how much disciples or congregation members wear us down, never do we have the right to berate them, scorn or ridicule them. Jesus did display amazing, supernatural patience with people, and I believe, I hope (I pray) that I can have the same grace and patience as Jesus did, I believe that is our hope, in Christ.
We are indeed to love God’s church. Blessings, Richard.
Even if we are faithless, He remains faithful.
So true…
What a great reminder, Dr. Lawless. I found this quite convicting, especially since I’m definitely guilty of trying to solve my own problems while ignoring the amazing power of Jesus Christ in me. This has spurred me to really focus more on Christ and less on my own efforts to solve the various problems that come across my path. Thank you!
Thanks for the honesty, Madison. God bless.
Moses was a great leader. He also had assistants who handled the mundane and moderately serious issues so that he could handle the very serious matters, but he made sure that assistants did their jobs and taught them.
True. Discipling means training others.
I like the line, “too little bread is not a problem Jesus had.”
I forget that he has all the resources I need! He can meet my needs, my challenges, my fears, because He has all the resources I could ever imagine. Forgive my doubt Lord!