Rescue Me From Danger

Rev. Debbie Cato
Psalm 22:23-31 and Matthew 14:22-33

Fairfield Community Church

February 25, 2024 

Holy God,  There are days where the wind is loud. There are days where the rain tears through the trees, and the storms of life beg for our attention.  So just as you stilled the wind and the sea, still our wandering hearts. Quiet our restless minds.  Reach out your hand to us and pull us into your Word so that we might hear, really hear, your message to us today.  With one foot out of the boat, we pray, amen.

 

 

Rescue Me from Danger

 

 This is a well-known story in the Gospels -  Jesus’ walking on water. In Matthew,

Mark, and Luke, it occurs right after Jesus feeds the five thousand – another

well-known miracle.  After Jesus taught and fed all those people, he told the

disciples to get into a boat in the Sea of Galilea and wait for him. Jesus went up

on a mountain.  He wanted to be alone to pray.  He was trying to go off alone to

grieve the death of his cousin John when he was met by the crowd that he ended

up healing and teaching and then feeding.  He met the needs of the crowd rather

than spend time alone and grieve and pray.  Finally now, he was going to get his

time alone to grieve and be with His Father. 

 

We don’t know if they the disciples go into a boat that Peter owned or a boat that the Zebedee’s owned.  Honestly, it doesn’t matter.  What we do know is that, just as Jesus asked, the disciples got into a boat, rowed out into the water to wait for Jesus.  While they waited, night came and a storm came up at sea and tossed their boat all about.  The storm was brutal, and the wild waves tossed the boat all about.  The waves splashed up and over the boat, soaking the disciples and filling the boat with water. 

The disciples, who were experienced fishermen and used to storms, were

terrified.  The disciples thought they were going to die. Finally dawn came and

seemingly oblivious to the storm, Jesus began walking out to the boat to meet

His disciples.  But that too, terrified his already shook-up disciples.  They

thought he was a ghost.  Who else would walk on water? Jesus said to them, “Do

not be afraid. It is I.” Do not be afraid.  It is I.

 

In Matthew’s account, after hearing Jesus’ voice, Peter boldly says, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water”.  Jesus replies, ‘Come’.  (It sounds a little bit like “Come follow me,” doesn’t it?)  Jesus invites Peter to come to him. He doesn’t command him.  He invites.

 

To his credit, Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water. Matthew doesn’t tell us how far Peter walked; that isn’t the point.  The point is that Peter got out of the boat and took a step of faith and walked on water.  Peter’s action in getting out of the boat at Jesus’s invitation is a striking picture of faith. It took courage to get out of the boat. It took courage to step out on that water. Particularly in the midst of a raging storm.  It took courage to take that step of faith.

 

No one asked Peter to get out of the boat and walk toward Jesus.  The other disciples didn’t ask him to do it. Jesus didn’t ask him to do it either.  When Peter said,  “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water”, Jesus invited him.  He didn’t command him.  Peter made the decision to step out of the boat onto the water in faith.  Peter had the courage to walk toward Jesus.

 

We all know what courage looks like.  It takes courage to go to the oncologist

when you are diagnosed with cancer.  It takes courage to have that difficult

conversation.  It takes courage to make that job change.  It takes courage to hold

someone accountable.  It takes courage to speak the truth, to share your opinion,

to apologize.  It takes courage to share your faith.  It takes courage to stick to

your values and say no, I’m not going to go along with that.  It takes courage to

have faith that things will work out in the midst of a crisis; during a seemingly

impossible situation.  It takes faith to have hope when things seem hopeless; to

believe God is present when He feels so far away.

 

Peter takes that courageous first step of faith and walks on water. Then he takes his eyes off Jesus - for just a moment - and notices the strong wind. He remembers the storm all around him. He sees the waves swirling around him, the water splashing over his body.  He becomes frightened.  “What did I think I was doing,” he must have thought?  “Why did I think I could walk out to Jesus?”  “I am weak. I am not strong enough.  My faith is not strong enough.”  What do you tell yourself when you doubt your faith?  When you doubt your ability to do something?  When you convince yourself you won’t make it through a crises?

 

Danger is not always physical. Sometimes, danger manifests as despair. We are called to reach out to Jesus in storms – in our darkest hour. The story of Peter walking on water and sinking isn’t a tale of doubt; it’s a narrative of faith. When Peter steps out of the boat, he demonstrates remarkable courage and trust in Jesus. Only when he shifts his focus to the raging storm does he sink. Like Peter, we may sink amid life’s challenges. However, as we are sinking, Jesus rescues us.[1] Just as he rescued Peter.

 

Sometimes, the danger is of our own making. Sometimes we sink simply because we had the courage to show up. Other times, we sink because we focus on what’s crashing around us rather than focus on God. Often, we grapple with what has made us sink without realizing that Jesus focuses on how much he loves us. Jesus extends a rescuing hand—and his love is greater than whatever causes us to sink.[2]

 

Jesus is the Rescuer. Ultimately, Peter’s story demonstrates that God is near, not simply because we have doubted, but because we have had the faith to get out of the boat and start walking toward Jesus.

 

I believe that God honors us and meets us in our lowest places. We can find hope and salvation, cry out to the Lord as Peter did, and discover that Jesus has more faith in us than we have in ourselves. Peter’s cry, “Lord, save me!” is an acknowledgment of need. What happens next is a beautiful revelation of our Savior’s heart—rescue, not shame and guilt.[3] You see, God does not expect us to do it alone!  He is with us in the despair and doubt and storms of life.  He never leaves us.

 

Peter took those first steps.  He got out of the boat and walked toward Jesus.  And then Jesus was there.  When Peter shouted, “Lord, save me!” Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him. 

 

Isn’t that a realistic picture of every believer who chooses to follow Jesus? We

step out in faith, eager to respond to Jesus’s invitation, but we soon take our eyes

off Jesus and focus on the storms of life swirling around us. We doubt and find

ourselves sinking.   It’s incredibly human.

 

I think true faith is all about having doubt.  But we are asked to take those first steps.  We may stumble and fail but it is that step of faith, that step of courage that matters.  God will catch us.  He is there – whether we can see him or not.  Whether we sense his presence or not.  He is there.  “Take heart,” He says.  “I am here.  Do not be afraid.”  

 

I want to close with a poem written by Rev. Sara Speed with Sanctified Art.

 

Rescue Me

Rev. Sara Speed, Sanctified Art

 

I’d rather not need rescue.

I’d prefer a five-step plan

and a quick-fix solution.

I’d prefer stubborn insistence

over honest vulnerability,

because rescue requires

asking for help.

Rescue names

the rising water.

Rescue sees

the tired, treading feet.

Rescue feels

the swell of the wind

and the rain at a slant.

But when the floor falls out

and the world is on fire 

and my small hands

cannot fix the hurt welling in me,

the prayer that slips out

is rescue

rescue

rescue me.

 

God is a rescuer.  He doesn’t judge.  He doesn’t shame.  He seeks after us.  He reaches out to us.  He never stops loving us.  We can take those steps of faith, knowing He is always there to catch us, to reach out His hand and grab us, to hold us.  We are His beloved.  That never changes.  Amen.

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[1] Terence Lester.  Sanctified Art.  Wandering Heart. Commentary on Matthew 14:22-33 & Psalm 22:23-31.
[2] Terence Lester.  Sanctified Art.  Wandering Heart. Commentary on Matthew 14:22-33 & Psalm 22:23-31.
[3] Terence Lester.  Sanctified Art.  Wandering Heart. Commentary on Matthew 14:22-33 & Psalm 22:23-31.

Jesus Sought Me

Rev. Debbie Cato
Psalm 25:1-10 and Luke 5:1-11
Fairfield Community Church
February 18, 2024 

Creator God, You hear everything. You hear the rush of the wind through the trees. You hear a baby’s first cry. You hear the crickets chirping, our silent prayers, and laughter around dinner tables. You hear it all!

We don’t need that same capacity, but we do need to hear your Word, O God.  So today we pray that you would give us the ability to truly listen. Give us the ability to listen with our hearts, and may the truths revealed in your scripture today change us.  With hearts full of gratitude we pray,  amen.

 

Jesus Sought Me

 

This Lent, we are focusing on the life and faith of one of Jesus’ most famous disciples. In Peter, we see a person who is both steadfast and unsteady, a dear friend and a betrayer, a follower and a wanderer. In Peter, we often see ourselves. By following Peter’s journey, we watch the story of Jesus unfold through the eyes of a very normal human trying to figure it all out—just like us.[1]

In this sermon series, we want to affirm that faith is a constant journey of steadfast pursuit; one that ebbs and flows. We want to affirm that wandering is exploration, not necessarily distance from God. We want to affirm the ways Peter keeps going; he drops his nets, he walks on water, he runs to the empty tomb, he swims to the shore to meet the risen Christ. But, Jesus also calls him Satan and Peter denies knowing Jesus – three times. Yet, Peter keeps searching and yearning and loving, even after missteps or mistakes. Ultimately, in Peter’s story, we are reminded that God loves imperfect people—in fact, time and again, that’s precisely who God claims and calls.[2]

Like many of us, Peter has a wandering heart. His journey is not polished, or linear, or perfect, but he is always tethered to the love of God. When you look closely at Peter’s story, you find Jesus at each step along the way—offering him abundance, catching him when he begins to sink, challenging him when he stands in the way, washing his feet, predicting his betrayal, and offering him agapē love. This Lent, we’re joining Peter in figuring out our own faith. We’re not idolizing or vilifying him; instead, we’re hoping to wander alongside him, open to what we might learn about Jesus (and ourselves) by stepping in Peter’s shoes.[3]

Peter was not the apostle’s given name; Jesus gave it to him.  Peter is a Greek name meaning “rock”.  His Aramaic name was Simon (long o) which would have meant “hearing” or “obedient.”  Occasionally, his name is transliterated into Greek as Symeon.  The fact that he has both an Aramaic and Greek name is significant; it tells us he was both bilingual and lived in an environment that was heavily influenced by the Greeks.[4]

Jesus gave Simon the new name “Peter” in keeping with a character trait desired for him; “a man of rock”.  In Hebrew tradition name changes were important, especially when God is the one who gives the new name.  God changed Abram to Abraham which means “ancestor of a multitude.”  He changed Jacob’s name to Israel which means “God strives.”[5]  A Man of Rock is someone who is solid; someone you can depend on. Bedrock provides a solid foundation on which to build.  Although Peter struggles at times, in the end, he lives up to the meaning of his new name that Jesus gives him.[6]

Simon Peter and his brother Andrew were partners in a domestic fishing business with a man named Zebedee and his two sons, James and John.  Simon owned one of the boats, perhaps one he had inherited from his father.  They employed hired hands or day laborers who assisted with rowing, handling sails, managing and drying the large dragnets as well as sorting fish.

Unlike using a pole, line, and hooks like we do today, the fishermen in Jesus’ day caught fish primarily by using nets. There were casting nets that were weighted. They would be thrown over the side of a boat. After it would sink a little, the net would then be gathered together with ropes, with hopes to trap fish in the net as it was gathered. There were also drag nets. These were also weighted, but they were spread out between two boats. This type of fishing required patience with hopes of the fish getting caught within the nets as it is slowly pulled in. Like Peter and James and John did, fishing usually took place at night.[7]

Our scripture today is when Jesus calls the first disciples.  But let’s remember that this is not Peter’s first interaction with Jesus.  In Luke 4:38-39, Jesus goes into Simon’s house and heals his mother-in-law who was suffering from a high fever.  Immediately she got up and began to serve them – I assume she fixed them a meal. She performs the duties of a hostess.

As the narrative in today’s passage unfolds, Peter and his crew were fishing all night long. After a long night of fishing, they didn’t catch anything.  They must have been tired and discouraged.  When Jesus arrives that morning and tells Peter to “cast into deeper water,” Peter must have thought Jesus was crazy. Yet out of honor, respect, and obedience, Peter goes to deeper water and catches so many fish that their nets began to break.

When Peter saw how abundant his catch was, especially after a night of catching nothing at all, he is overwhelmed.  Scripture tells us that “when Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. (Luke 5:8-10)  ”

Why do you think Peter resists the abundant catch of fish?  Does he feel unworthy to receive a gift he has not worked hard for? Is he afraid there could be repercussions from the Roman government, and that this abundant catch may lead to higher taxes and fines for his business? As a Galilean fisherman who likely lived scarcely, does seeing this abundance feel jarring and unfamiliar? Does he consider himself “unfaithful” and therefore he resists being in Jesus’ presence?[8]

Remember, this was the second miracle Peter observed.  The first was the healing of his mother-in-law and now this abundant catch of fish.  Peter recognizes Jesus as Lord.  “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” I am sinful; I don’t deserve God’s grace.  Sound familiar?

This is a dramatic turning point for Peter. He leaves his home, his business, and his way of life to follow Jesus into a new calling. He had no way of knowing what following Jesus meant.  He had no way of knowing what his life would look like; the highs and the lows.  But he goes.  He follows Jesus.

This is the beginning of Peter’s faith story.  It’s a story that will ebb and flow – just like ours.  He will believe with tremendous fervor.  He will put his foot in his mouth and mess up and fail with equal passion.  He's just like me.  I suspect he’s just like you. 

What is the beginning of your faith story? What are the first things you were taught about God? When was the first time you felt God’s presence? How do you feel when God pours His grace over you? Do you feel any urge to resist it?

Jeus will meet us when we are discouraged and bless us in ways we never imagined just like he overwhelmed Peter with the abundant catch of fish.  He calls us just like he called Peter.  And James and John.  Peter messed up, that’s true.  But, Jesus never gave up on Peter.  He named him the Rock and Peter went on to be one of the greatest apostles.  He never gives up on us either!  There is nothing we can do that will stop His love for us.  Thanks be to God that His love is not based on our actions. 

May we persevere in our faith journey like Peter did.  And as we figure out our faith with Peter this Lenten season, may we all grow closer to God.  Amen.

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[1] Sanctified Art.  Sermon Planning Guide.  Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity
[2] Sanctified Art.  Sermon Planning Guide.  Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity
[3] Sanctified Art.  Sermon Planning Guide.  Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity
[4] Helyer Larry R.  “The Life and Witness of Peter.”  InterVarsity Press.  2012.  P. 19.
[5] Helyer Larry R.  “The Life and Witness of Peter.”  InterVarsity Press.  2012.  P. 20-21.
[6] Helyer Larry R.  “The Life and Witness of Peter.”  InterVarsity Press.  2012.  P. 20-21.
[7] https://biblicalisraeltours.com/2016/08/called-to-be-fishermen/
[8] Sanctified Art.  Sermon Planning Guide.  Guiding Qs. Dr. Terence Lester.

Changed Before Your Eyes

Rev. Debbie Cato
2 Kings 2:1-12 and Mark 9:2-9
Fairfield Community Church
February 11, 2024

God Who Speaks, we hear the stories in Scripture, the words of the prophets, the tales of our ancestors, the songs of the psalmists and the proverbs of the poets. Help us to listen to the words You have given us, and to listen to the Word that became flesh and dwelled among us, Jesus Christ our Lord. When we hear God say, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” may we stop and listen. May we humble ourselves instead of thinking we’ve heard it all before. Speak to us so we might listen in a new way, to know Your love in new ways and to share that love with the world. Invite us into this time and space that is Yours, so we might draw closer to You. Amen.

 

Changed Before Your Eyes

 

 

I remember being at a board meeting years ago when the chairperson asked another member of the board for some information . He replied that he didn't have it.  The chairperson said, “Well, I know you do, because I sent it to you in an e-mail yesterday afternoon.”

The board member smiled sheepishly and replied, "Oh, I didn't realize that’s what it was and so I just deleted it.”

Everyone laughed - including me - but I was struck at the time by just how normal his actions were.  Often when we encounter something we don’t know or understand we throw it away; or at the very least - we ignore it - we put it on hold - we neglect it.

So it is with stories like those we heard today from the scriptures - 

   Many of us hear about of water being parted to reveal a path across a river,    

             visions of chariots of fire,

     and of a man being taken up into heaven -

 and mentally we shrug our shoulders and dismiss the matter as an idle tale.

 Something beyond our comprehension. Others hear about how Jesus was transformed on a mountaintop, that he shone as bright as the sun,

        how he was visited by two men, great prophets - long dead,    

and they say to themselves that's all very nice, but what does it have to do with me? Then they go on about their lives as if these things had never happened, as if they never can or never will happen again.

I’ve preached sermons on these scripture passages before – after all Transfiguration Sunday comes every year! Usually, I focus on the mountain top experiences we have with God and how just like Peter, we want to stay on the mountaintop.  Yet, just as Peter and James and John learn, it’s necessary to come down off the mountain and serve in the valley below.  I think they’ve been decent sermons; faithful to the text.  But we aren’t going to go there today.

Today we are going to focus on the wonder of the experience.  Jesus chose Peter and James and John to travel up the mountain with him.  He does a lot with those three disciples.  As a result, Peter, James and John watch as Jesus undergoes a transfiguration – a complete change in appearance.  They witness Jesus’ appearance become overwhelmingly bright – so bright their eyes can’t take it.  Peter and James and John see Moses and Elijah talking with Christ.  Two of the greatest prophets; long-dead, talking with their teacher, their friend, their Lord.  Peter and James and John hear a voice boom from heaven, "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"  (Mark 9:7b)

And then, just as quickly as it happened, it was over.  Moses and Elijah are gone.  Jesus’ appearance is back to normal and they are all headed back down the mountain.  But I doubt that Peter or James or John were the same.  I doubt things were “back to normal” for them. What do  you think?

Peter and James and John saw the greatest prophets of old; prophets they had been raised to admire; whose teachings they revered.  It was Peter and James and John who saw the vision of who Jesus truly was – the divine nature of their earthly teacher.  It was Peter and James and John who heard the voice of God. 

Although it was Jesus who was transfigured; Jesus whose appearance changed; it was Peter and James and John who were transformed; who were changed by their experience.  They had encountered the divine and they would never be the same again.

Most of us are convinced that our faith is about doing good things,

   about showing love and care for one another; about serving others.

       And it is - this is what our faith is about. This is how Jesus taught us to be.

But our faith is also about yearning to see God and experience his power.

   It is about being touched by His Spirit.

      It is about being moved by the voice of the Lord whispering in our ears.

Our faith is so rich - our God is so good - that it makes no sense at all to limit what is possible for us to the dry bones of what we should or should not do each day.

Our faith is about entertaining angels, every bit as much as it is about seeking to comfort the afflicted and to heal the sick.  It is about seeing visions of a new heaven and a new earth, every bit as much as it is about seeking justice and resisting evil.

Our faith is about being refreshed by God, as much as it is about refreshing others in God's name. The biggest mistake we can make in our spiritual lives is ending up settling for less than the real thing, for a portion - instead of for the whole, all because we either do not believe in what God can do, or because we do not look at nor understand what we have been given.

“I didn’t realize what it was, so I ignored it. I deleted it.”

I believe the most common problem faced by members of the Church (with a capital C) is not that we spend too much time seeking spiritual visions and   revelations - thereby neglecting the important truths and duties of everyday life in Christ, rather it is that we do not believe in and thus are not open to the special moments, the special touches that only God can give us.

Some of the faithful say that people have no energy for living the Christian life because they do not get fed by the church - I say – some people are out of energy because they fail to recognize the food that is before them – because they fail to take and eat what God seeks to give them.

Friends - I can't explain to you what a holy moment is to you;  nor can I tell you just how special and sacred events come to pass, nor can I even promise you that you will have such a moment if you only do this or do that.

But I will tell you this: these moments are real, and they come to us most often when we open ourselves up to letting God work in our lives. You can't have a mountain top experience if you don't climb the mountain.

Elisha followed his teacher Elijah around the country despite Elijah telling him not to when he had his experience; he actively sought a double portion of the spirit that filled Elijah and was patient to receive it.

Peter, James, and John were obeying Jesus when they witnessed his Transfiguration and saw first-hand Jesus’ divine nature, after they climbed the mountain with him as he went to pray.

The sacred experiences that are recounted in the bible, the experiences of the divine that are recorded there, are still needed - and they still occur today.

Some of us catch sight of God in the beauty around us, some glimpse him during a close encounter with death, some meet him in a special way during a period of suffering, others while they are praying at special gatherings or at worship.

Don't throw away those strange and mysterious experiences that have happened in your lives.  Don't let go of those things that you do not understand or cannot explain.  Instead, meditate on them, delight in them, and use them as a source of strength for your time of service in the valleys below.  It’s through these experiences that we are transformed; that we are changed.

As the psalmist sings in Psalm 84: 

 

Oh how lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts!

My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the Living God.  Amen

Jesus the Healer

Rev. Debbie Cato
Isaiah 40:21-31 and Mark 1:29-39
Fairfield Community Church
February 4, 2024 

What news do you bring our way this day, God?  We sit.  Quietly.  Waiting.We are open to your Spirit.  Speak into our hearts, Lord and give us the courage to live out what you speak to us.  In your Son’s precious name.  Amen.

 

Jesus the Healer

 

Probably one of the more frequent questions pastors hear – or maybe I should say – one of the most frequent questions Christians ask is - “why?”  I’ve been praying that God would heal me… my friend… my family member… but he isn’t answering my prayer, or maybe he didn’t answer my prayer.  Why?  I know God can heal people so why doesn’t he/why didn’t he heal ….. (pause) … you fill in the blank.  Have you ever asked that question of God? 

Have you ever thought that maybe if your faith were just a little stronger, God would answer your prayer?  Maybe if you prayed a little bit more; a  little bit harder it would have made a difference. Have you ever thought that?

My daughter was diagnosed with a rare pain condition the summer before her 9^th grade year.  She fell and hurt her back – just a fall in a parking lot; a freak accident.  No big deal. Her back healed, but the pain didn’t go away.  It took over her life.  Tracy spent weeks at a time in the hospital.  She missed her whole 9^th grade year of school. The pain never left her.  We prayed for healing.  Our friends prayed for healing.  Our church prayed for healing. 

Finally, after about a year and a half, her back pain went away.  But it moved to her stomach and for a year, she struggled with intense abdominal pain. More tests.  More medical procedures.  More hospital stays. We prayed and prayed.  Finally, the pain in her stomach went away. But her struggle didn’t stop there. She has had a migraine – a daily chronic headache as they are called, ever since.  She’s 35 now. It never leaves her.  At times it’s crippling. 

She has needed hospitalization.  A lot. Dangerous intravenous drug treatments that resulted in great risks to her health.  We continue to pray for healing, but her headache remains – constant.

So you can imagine that as I planned my sermon for today, these healing miracles caused me to pause. 

Simon’s mother had a fever and Jesus healed her – immediately.  She got up and fixed dinner as if she had never been sick.  And then, after dinner, “all who were sick or possessed with demons” were brought to Jesus.  He cured many and cast out demons from many. 

I’ve read this passage in Mark many times but this time when I read it, something caught my attention that I hadn’t noticed before.  It’s subtle but did you catch it?  “All” who were sick, all who had demons were brought to Jesus.  But… “Many” were healed.  Many were healed.  Many – not all.  Not everyone who was sick; not everyone who was demon possessed was healed. Jesus healed some of them.  Just some.  Obviously he had the ability to heal everyone.  But he didn’t.  He healed many.  He healed some of the people.  But he did not heal everyone.

Now let’s get a good picture of this.  Jesus is just getting started in his ministry.  He’s making a name for himself.  People are flocking to see him.  They’ve heard the news.  It’s not just talk.  They have seen evidence.  People that were sick and invalid are miraculously healed.  People that had emotional and spiritual ailments – demons as scripture calls them – are made whole.  Jesus had a great thing going.  He was a hero. 

Maybe it got too late in the night, and he didn’t have time to heal everyone.  Maybe the ones he didn’t heal that night were going to come back the next day.  I think even more people would come the next morning, don’t you? News gets around!  There’s a healer in town.  Jesus had the opportunity for an encore performance.  He was a big draw.  He could make a name for himself as a healer. 

It’s certainly what his disciples expected.  When they get up the next morning, they are upset because he isn’t there.  They think Jesus should be ready for the crowd that will be coming back. Jesus isn’t where they think he should be. Where is he?  In the Greek it says the disciples “hunted” for him. They were frantic.

Jesus had gotten up early – while it was still dark. Apparently, he didn’t want others to know he was leaving – that he was going off by himself.  Away from the voices telling him what to do.  Away from those who needed him.  Away from the demands of the world.  He wanted to be alone with God. Jesus left early in the morning by himself to go somewhere alone and pray. 

"Everyone is looking for you!" the disciples tell him.  I imagine the crowds were already beginning to gather.  The disciples were ready for their leader to do more healing miracles.  Everyone is looking for you, Jesus!  Come on!  It’s sort of like – “you’re on in 2 minutes”.

But after spending time alone; after spending time in prayer with His Father, Jesus has other plans.  He’s not going to do what the others expect him to do.  After his early morning prayer, he chooses to move on.  "Let us go somewhere else,” Jesus says.  “We need to go to the nearby villages-- so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."   

True, there were more sick people in Capernaum.  People who hadn’t been healed the night before.  People who needed Jesus’ healing touch.  Yet Jesus moves on.  (pause) “All” who were sick, all who had demons were brought to Jesus.  But… “Many” were healed.

 When God created the world, he created everything – including humanity in his image. God’s creation was whole; it was healthy; it was perfect.  God created shalom –wholeness, well-being, peace.  There was no brokenness nor sin nor heartache nor disease.

Jesus came to restore shalom to God’s creation – to bring God’s kingdom to earth.  Jesus came to bring healing and restoration to creation.  Jesus’ healing touches the whole person – the physical, the mental, the spiritual.  Jesus’ healing brings wholeness.  The kingdom is all about renewing the shalom God intended for his creation.

Jesus doesn’t just heal the physical.  He heals the demon possessed – he heals the psychological and spiritual sicknesses.  He brings healing and wholeness to our minds and our hearts. The Good News of Jesus Christ – the good news of the Kingdom of God brings psychological, spiritual, and physical healing.

As you know, my daughter still suffers from debilitating migraines.  But I’ve seen God bring healing and wholeness into her life in ways I never would have imagined; ways I didn’t know she needed.  But God knew.  And in March, she’s having a surgery that could heal her migraines completely.  We are still praying for healing.

Where in your life do you need healing?  How do you need God to bring wholeness and well-being and peace into your life?  Perhaps Jesus has already brought healing into your life that you may not have recognized?

Healing occurs when we can see what God intends for us – when we see the beauty God sees in us.  The apostle Paul proclaimed that in Christ we are a "new creation;" the "old has passed away;" behold, "everything has become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

Jesus stays focused on God by going off alone to pray.  Jesus knows what he needs to do.  It isn’t what his disciples expect him to do.  It isn’t what the crowds want him to do.  Jesus moves on to the next village because Jesus knows his mission. Jesus doesn’t get caught up in the fanfare; the notoriety. He doesn’t get distracted.

Jesus didn’t come to be some healing miracle worker to draw large crowds.  He isn’t a sorcerer who heals peoples’ aches and pains on some whim. Jesus can’t be distracted by the expectations of the crowds or even his own disciples.  He has a message – a life changing message for all who listen.  Jesus came to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God.  Not just to one village.  Not just to Capernaum.  Jesus came to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God throughout Galilee. 

The healing miracles that Jesus performed in Capernaum and other places through Galilee are a taste of things to come – when all creation will be restored to God’s image -  when shalom will be restored.  But for now, we get a taste. 

Jesus’ compassionate healings underscore what the restoration of the Kingdom of God will be like – complete fulfillment of fellowship with God and the shalom of all creation – under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. 

May we all eagerly wait with great anticipation and hope for the time when Christ will come again and the Kingdom of God is fully realized. Amen.