Two Verses To Not Overlook
Transition verses tell us much more than what’s next
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“Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone”
Matthew 14:22-23
Have you read the Bible? How do you read verses like these? These seem like transition verses, don’t they? Well let’s slow down and see two very important things about our savior,
Taking Responsibility
We see in our savior a willingness to relieve men and women and to handle things so that his disciples can go away. He just fed five thousand people and yet he is still the one to see each of them off. Some to their homes and others to a great storm. Unknowing that what they will see is going to be the most frightening and yet, most exciting night of their lives.
Yet, our savior is always leading each man and woman where they need to go. And more than that, he knows all of the peoples lives. All five thousand. He knows their families and their health. He knows their jobs and their wealth. He knows their future. He knows everything. This is extraordinary.
And it’s easy to read past these two verses as if they are only here to carry us to the next great story and witness of His power. But if we slow down and read how he is a man of leadership and a servant of all.
For instance,
When we read in Matthew 20:28,
"Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
This rings clear as we watch him move in this passage and through this gospel. He is constantly moving and working. He says, “get in the boat.” And he says, “go home” and he says, “you feed them.” And all of it, to give his life.
He is a savior that has taken responsibility for everything. He took responsibility for our rebellion and our sin. He took responsibility to give us life. He came and lead and took the responsibility of a servant. Of a savior. Of a brother. Of a son. Of one who is betrayed. Of one who is counted to be among criminals. He took it all.
We must learn this: In this life we are here to be slaves. Our teacher came to take responsibility and empty himself for men, and we are not above our teacher. We see men and women only focused on themselves. That’s what we breathe. It’s “American” But let us see what love is. It’s in his actions! Read it one more time,
“Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.“ Do you hear it?
And lets read, John 13:14-15
"If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you."
Or, Luke 22:26
"But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves."
Let us learn of love and responsibility. Let us be men and women who long to be like our savior in this way!
But, you can’t do it in your own strength…
Making Time To Pray
We read, “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone."
This is the most important or at least close second important thing we need to see in our savior.
He loves his Father and he constantly found time to pray. If he has to pray, how much more do we?
Here are five other times we see him pray:
1. Luke 5:16 "But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray."
This instance, he was surrounded by crowds who needed his help. He had Intense pressure around him. And what does he do? Gets alone and prays.
2. Mark 1:35 "And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed."
Here, he was up early to pray. They had to go find him. And what did they say? “Everyone is looking for you.”
Oh, if my wife and children had to find me praying. To hear them say, “Daddy, we were looking for you.” And I was praying. What I long to be. I long to be like my savior.
If our teacher lost sleep to pray, how much more should we? It’s that important.
3. Luke 6:12 "In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God."
And if you think he went to bed early and then woke up to pray. You’d be wrong. This verse says, he prayed all night.
If we would be people spent in prayer. Let us see our teacher and savior!
4. Matthew 26:36 "Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here, while I go over there and pray.’”
This one is right before his death. The hardest time he’s faced so far. This is usually when men reach out to God. When things are the worse.
But for him, it must have been a time when he was leaning on the father the most. Let us lean on the father all the time so when our time does come, we will have more comfort and more closeness with our father like he did. He trusted his father with every part. We must learn from him.
5. Luke 9:18 "Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him."
During this time, he was praying in front of his disciples. It opened up a conversation to teach. We see his prayer life was all encompassing of his entire way of living. He did it for everything.
So, there’s the five!
So we read in the first point of his servant lifestyle and his willingness to lead and take responsibility. But, now we read of the power that we can know carried him through to be and to accomplish all he had been assigned.
The lesson is worth repeating over and over again, cling to Jesus, he is all you need. To be useful and be great; you must be like him in his mindset of being a servant to all. If you want the power to carry it out, you need to be a man and woman who pray, and pray to the point that it cost you something. Like your sleep. We must be earnest!
Let us learn from our teacher even in the smallest of verses.