Close your eyes for a minute and picture this. Go ahead, close them. You're sitting under a tree at the top of a hill overlooking a lake. It's early in the day, so the air is still cool; the sun hasn't gotten high enough in the sky to make the heat unbearable yet. Before you a dirt path slopes to the edge of the lake. As you look out, the water appears calm and clear. It's a peaceful scene. The day is starting out just perfectly. You've gotten away for awhile to relax, refresh, recharge, and get some rest.
Don't you just love to get away? Some of you have recently. A few to the Dakotas ; others to Nebraska ; some to Colorado , Florida , Wisconsin , a lake, and other places; some to visit family, others for a little business, a little pleasure; and still others just for a vacation. Whatever the reason, don't you just love to get away? And even if it's only going out to the backyard with a glass of ice tea and a book, it's good to relax, refresh, recharge and get some rest.
Jesus did it; He did it frequently for Himself and especially for His disciples. He got them away from that which was going on in their lives just to be with Him for awhile. That's how this reading began. It says, “When Jesus heard what had happened; He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.”
I. We need the rest and reassurance He gives.
Ironically, they were at the lake, too, the lake called Galilee . They got into a boat and went to the sparsely populated hills east of the lake, an area that you might know today as the Golan Heights . Jesus took them away because they needed some rest with Him.
You see, something terrible had just happened. King Herod had beheaded John the Baptist. It happened this way.
Herod had arrested John and thrown him into prison because John had been preaching against the sins in which Herod got involved, especially the sin of adultery when Herod took his brother Philip's wife from him and married her. Her name was Herodias, and she did not at all like what John was saying about her. At the time she could do nothing about it, for Herod was too afraid to do anything to John. But an opportunity soon arose.
It was Herod's birthday. So Herod, celebrating heavily, called in Herodias' daughter, Salome, to dance for him. He was so pleased with her dance that when she finished he promised to give her anything except his rule. “Give me the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter,” she demanded. Herod was afraid for he knew that God was with John. But more afraid of his guests lest he not honor his word, he had John beheaded in prison. “When Jesus heard what had happened,” our text said, “He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. It was for Himself. But even more, He got away for the sake of His disciples.
Some of them had once been followers of John. Even without that, they understood that John was the forerunner of Christ (11:11f). So this news would be most disturbing. If this power-happy monarch, his vindictive queen, and her sensuous daughter could bring about the death of a faithful servant of the Lord like John, what could he do with the Lord Jesus and them? Fear, worry, distress were overcoming their lives. Oh, they had to get away with Jesus in their private retreat so that He could minister to their fears and faltering faith.
Dear friends, it's no different for us today. We frequently ought to get away with Jesus for we need the rest and reassurance He gives. Did you ever think of a vacation or a time of relaxation from that standpoint? Some of the greatest times that we can have whenever we get away is had by retreating to the Savior and His word to have Him minister to our needs. We need Him to overcome our fears; we need Him to reassure us that He is still in control and that all things must work out for good according to His omniscient designs for us.
Isn't that what the epistle lessons last Sunday and today promised when they said: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose….If God is for us, who can be against us?....Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword….No, in all these things we are more than conquerors….for nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro.8:28ff).
Things will be okay and nothing or no one can ever separate you from God's love for you in Christ. Even if a Herod should cut off your head, you would still be with the Savior – forever. You would not have that assurance unless Christ had told you.
The disciples needed to refresh, recharge, and get some rest with the Savior. Even more, they needed opportunities to learn. And so do we. So let's use some quiet hours to get away with Jesus. Spend time with Him in His Word and prayer. We need the rest and reassurance He gives for only He can calm our hearts, refresh our souls, and grant us deeper understanding of all things.
II. We need His help and He will work through us.
We need to make use of the time we have, because it doesn't last forever. Even for Jesus and His disciples, the time for rest and relaxation did not last forever. Matthew continues, “The crowds followed Him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.”
Wow! That was a short vacation by the lake! Soon a crowd spoiled the whole purpose of His trip. But even with that, we find comfort and assurance because we see a Savior who will gladly set aside His own needs and plans in order to help those who need His help with gifts that only He can give.
The people were sick and His heart went out to them. Would that our hearts were filled with such love and compassion that they would always go out to those in need! What is it that the Savior taught? “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Christ put His words into action as He reached out to those who needed His help. Sadly, disciples' hearts don't always go out to those in need.
For example time passed. Jesus spent the day healing and teaching those who needed His help. It was late and the question arose how to feed the crowd. Testing His disciples and their reliance on Him for help, the question arose: “How are we going to feed these people in such a remote place? No stores around here.” He let them chew on that for awhile. Finally, they gave their answer: “Send them away.”
Send them away from the Savior? From the One whose help they needed most? That doesn't make sense. “They don't need to go away,” Jesus said. “Give them something to eat.” “But all we've got,” they replied, “is 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish – hardly enough for anyone to get a bite.”
Not enough! Have you ever thought the same when confronted with a problem needing a solution that seemed beyond you? Not enough! True – if you reckon things without God. But with a Savior's blessing, the little we have can be turned into more than enough in the hands of the One whose help we need in all things. Jesus turned His eye heavenward. All things start with a simple thankful appeal to the heavenly Father for the psalmist says: “The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing” (145:15f). And with that the bread and the fish multiplied in His hands as there was need for more.
Then Jesus went on to involve the 12 disciples in the marvelous feeding of the 5,000. Suddenly they were carrying out the work Jesus had challenged them to do: “You feed them,” He had said. And with His help they could do more than they ever thought they could for the Christ was acting through them.
Who can help us when the needed arises? If the Savior can help us in our greatest need, taking away our sin, can't He help and work through us in any and every situation. “Everything is possible for Him who believes,” Jesus said (Mk.9:23). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength,” Paul cried (Phlp.4:13). When God works through us, more can be accomplished than we could ever hope or dream.
What are your fears, worries, doubts, or testings, dear friend? Our problems are nothing compared to God's ability to give answers – in abundance – for we have no needs for which He can't supply more than enough to help us.
Let's get away with Jesus. In all things we need His help and He will work through us for the good of His kingdom for “if God be for us, who can be against us. Nothing is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God grant it in our lives of faith for Jesus' sake. Amen.