The disciples had their next few days all planned out. It had been a busy time of ministry, so busy that they did not even have relaxing times to eat. They were tired. They needed a break. In Mark 6:31, Jesus announces that He is taking them on a retreat. A few days without the crowds. A few days alone with Jesus. The disciples had their next few days all planned out.
As they head towards their retreat, the people figure out where the disciples are headed. So the people (5,000 of them, not including women and children) ran ahead to meet them. Jesus sees that they are sheep without a shepherd so He begins to teach them. And then He decides that it is a good time for the disciples to feed them. So the disciples spend the first day of their retreat as waiters for a crowd of well over 5,000 people.
Have you ever thought of how much work that would be? Even though they are not cooking, they are constantly on the move, delivering food to more and more people. They started the day exhausted. I can't even imagine how they feel at the end of the day. But their day is not over. They still need to get into a boat and row to the other side of the lake. In heavy winds.
Late into the night, they see a person walking on the water. Turns out it is Jesus. He gets into the boat and the wind ceases. And then the text tells us this: "And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened."
Here is what I think happened. The disciples have a plan in mind. They have their next days scheduled. And then God interrupts the plan. He has something on His agenda for the disciples. Like a miraculous feeding of a huge crowd. Like seeing Jesus walk on water. While the disciples see these events, they do not enjoy what God is doing. God is not acting within the bounds of their day-timer and they struggle to get past that.
I make schedules. I make daily lists and plans for myself. I can easily see myself responding as the disciples do. My prayer is that I will always be ready for God's interruptions to my day. My prayer is that I will not become so preoccupied with my schedule that I reluctantly participate in God's plan for today. And to do this I need to be careful to not procrastinate, creating artificial, crisis deadlines because of my own poor use of time.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Thanks Chris. It was good to read some of your writings. This week our 'schedule' was interrupted by Don needing to have a tooth extracted. The tooth is now out and he's on the way to recovery. I guess the interruption I don't like (if you'd call it that), is having to lay out our 'extra cash' for this process. But God made sure we'd have enough on hand to pay this bill 'cuz we don't have dental insurance. So tho I don't especially like the events of this week, I do praise Him for supplying our every need.
ReplyDeleteI think you do a great job. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteGreat perspective on an ancient text! I too often worship my schedule over my Shepherd and become discouraged when He interrupts. How many times have I missed the blessing He had in the interruption? I can only imagine. Love the post above--my schedule and my finances have been drastically interrupted today by facing the extraction of a tooth and no dental insurance as well. I have to miss an important lunch, and the mission lunch tomorrow! Well, amen, let's see what Jesus has in this interruption. Thanks Chris, this was a timely post. (I don't know how to select a "profile" so I used anonymous but I am not anonymous, I am kathy beard :-)
ReplyDeleteThe Daytimer blog fits in perfectly with those who survived the 9/11 attack in NYC because God provided an interruption in their lives! One guy survived because it was his turn to pick up donuts for the office staff and that delayed him just enough to save his life. Another was wearing new shoes and it was causing a blister so he took time to stop at a drugstore to buy some of those band-aid patches....and that time spent saved his life. There were a lot of similar stories from 9/11. If only we would all take God's interruptions for the blessings they really are....and just mellow out....haha.
ReplyDeleteWell said Jim. "Mellow out" is exactly what I need to do. How fortunate we are who did not have to go through those events in NY in person.
ReplyDeleteChris, today in T.J's message he talked about interruptions. I smiled 'cuz I tho't of your Day-Timer blog. We are in Acts, the end of chapter 9, and in verse 39 where Peter was asked to go to Joppa because Dorcas had died, it says, "He rose and went with them," (the disciples). Peter had been preaching to many, all the people of Lydda had become Christians,and now he was asked to tend to a different matter. He allowed this interruption, if you will, did what was asked of him, and guess what? More people became Christians. If only we'd realize that God sees the bigger picture then we wouldn't complain about a deviation in our day timer schedule. The blessing continues!
ReplyDelete