Matthew Chapter 14 Verses 1 – 5

• We went over this briefly when we went through Chapter 11, a few weeks back. How that Herod, (at the command of his wife Herodias), had imprisoned John for saying what he had said…well, since then, Herod had had John killed and we will read how next but this is interesting…Herod hears about Jesus and immediately goes to this thought that John is back from the grave to haunt him! The truth is, John was already haunting him…not like Casper the Friendly Ghost but look, that is what truth always does.
• Herod knew that John was a righteous man. He even loved to hear him speak and teach we read in Mark Chapter 6 and that Herod would actually heed John’s teachings! Amazing! Man but for a few evil characters in his life, a few disturbing evil decisions, Herod may even have been set free. From sin? Yes…but also from fear…look at this…

Matthew Chapter 14 Verses 6 – 12

• Herod feared his wife. He feared the ghost of John the Baptist. He feared the truth that was preached to him by John. He feared the multitude it says back in verse 5. He feared those who sat with him. He feared what they thought of him. He was so very fear-filled! Do you see that? Here’s the thing. Even as ruler of the region, commander of men, tetrarch of the land, having everything…one thing he didn’t have, courage, and because of that he was no ruler…he was a slave.
• A slave to his wife, a slave to the past, a slave to the people and a slave to his image…like most weak men, Herod feared to be thought weak (Plumptre), and yet the cure…right there in his midst. Isn’t that just kinda crazy but isn’t that just like us…just like you? Afraid of so much, fallen behind in so so much…lost who you are even maybe…and the cure, right here in your midst.
• Turn to the One who has overcome even this entire world! God’s Spirit within you, ruling and reigning in your heart of hearts after He’s been given the title deed to your life will dissipate the spirit of fear and deliver to you the spirit of love, power and a sound mind…Ever hear a coach or a recruiter say something like, “That kid’s got heart, he’s got spirit…?” Well what if that is said of you and yet the spirit they speak of is fear…? What you ought to do? What you’re able to do? Reject the cowardice of living for self which at its core, is living as a slave to fear.
• The cure is right there in his midst and yet like a fool, he remains a slave. Spurgeon said on this topic, “Rash promises, and even oaths, are no excuse for doing wrong. The promise was itself null and void because no man has the right to promise to do wrong.” But fear is a powerful deterrent to wisdom…isn’t it? Herod, fear-filled…chose slavery…and his life was nothing but tragic.

• He met a terrible end…In order to take his brother’s wife he had to put away his first wife who happened to be a Nabataean princess from a neighboring kingdom to the east. Her father (Aretas IV) was enraged and later came against him with an army and Herod was defeated. He was then accused of treason against Rome…he was removed from power and banished into the distant province of Gaul. Herod and Herodias (now quite unhappily married) there committed suicide. His life was marked with frustration after frustration…folks didn’t care for him, even the illustrations on his coinage was weak (perishable crowns)…It occurs to me that God was trying to get his attention his whole life, perhaps…He who seeks to find his life, he who chooses to bow to fear, will lose his life…but whoever loses his life for My sake, Jesus said, will find it…

Matthew Chapter 14 Verses 13 – 14

• I love this scene because Jesus gets the news about John the Baptist, His friend, His family…the greatest of all the prophets…He sees the concern and horror on the faces of His disciples and He says to them, (Mark 6), “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” The weight of it all was great…the sorrow of loss and in that such tragic loss…pointless loss…and yet the multitude followed Him.

• Something so important that I have got to share with you, (that we see here in these verses), is that when there is a need, when there is controversy, when there is strife…you need to know this Christian…there is a right time to rest…and there is a right time to engage.   We, everyone of us, needs time in a deserted place to rest…to simply be with the Father and take time to pray and take time to process…whatever it is…

• And that was the intention of the Jesus here. To take the disciples away, get away from all of this and to rest…but there is a multitude and there is controversy…need. What we see here in Jesus is a great lesson. He has two things that cause Him to stay His time alone and to engage. He has first, compassion. A heart to engage. If you are doing the work of the ministry simply because you should, and all the while you are grumbling, stop. You are robbing others of their calling…

• Second, He has the anointed power of God. This is so important. Compassion is almost common amongst the people of God…but, has God anointed you for that situation? Those two things, asking yourself those questions BEFORE you get all tied into someone else’s business will not only guard your own heart and life but also the body of Christ!

• And so Jesus has both compassion and calling/anointing and I love this, He leaves His rest and goes to work. So cool, small subtlety here…Matthew says, “He healed.” Mark says, “He taught.” I just love that…let God teach you. Watch your heart heal, man…

Matthew Chapter 14 Verses 15 – 16

• I just love those words right there. In them is packed all of the keys, all of the cures, all of the promises of the Father…the FACT that men and women in need, do not need to go anywhere. All they need to do is stay in the deserted place with the Jesus! (Go to the Lord FIRST, don’t go to man first!) In your life and in mine, no reason, no circumstance, no logic, no wisdom, no rationale should ever lead you to look to anyplace or anyone else than Jesus.

Matthew Chapter 14 Verses 17 – 18

• Upwards of 20,000 people, an enormous need, an enormous problem, and all we have in our bag of tricks…all of our knowledge, all of our experience, all of our schooling, all of our resources…all we have is enough to fix perhaps 0.03% of our problem (5 people fed out of 20,000). Jesus says, what little you have, bring it here to Me. I love that…
• God I’m wrought with anxiety. I define anxiety. I can’t think past today because today drives me to fear. I’m rough around the edges. Sharp tongued. Aggressive, quick to flip – filled with not just anger but fury. All I know is lust. All I know is manipulation. I’m needy and constantly seeking the affection of others just to be able to breathe. I’m dependent, I’m easily frustrated and underneath it all, I’m just kinda weak…did I just describe you? Actually I’m describing me…and yet God says, “All that, bring them here to Me.” And I have learned, that even with all that…He teaches me, He heals me…I don’t need to go away…

Matthew Chapter 14 Verse 19

• This is an awesome picture of how Jesus birthed the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. He blessed, what He’s doing right here in this scene…He broke – His body upon that cross, giving Himself as an offering for all sin…He gave – the right for anyone who would believe on Him to become children of God…and then it’s all repeated in those that would be His disciples…

Matthew Chapter 14 Verses 20 – 21

• This is such a powerful and wonderful and glorious scene! Included even in all 4 Gospel accounts…They started with so very little and yet now they are all filled and not one caloric morsel is lost…nothing is lost…fragments remain and man it is so true. Everything that God is allowed to do and be in your life remains like an afterglow on your very soul…and one last thing…they ate…not knowing where any of it came from.
• God is able to provide out of resources you cannot see nor perceive in ANY way…and therein is why we do not come to God for what we can get or because of what we understand or because of something we’ve worked out…we come by faith…or we don’t come at all...