Matthew chapter 14

Such Compassion!

Verses 1 - 12 of Matthew 14 give an account of the execution of John the Baptist as ordered by Herod. He was beheaded on request of Herod's niece/stepdaughter.

Upon hearing this Jesus reacts in a fairly normal way, "he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place." Jesus understandably wanted to be alone to deal with the grief of losing a cousin. However a crowd gathers where they heard Jesus was, and here is the amazing bit.
My reaction at seeing a crowd all wanting someting from me after a death in the family:
"This is not the time, get lost! Can't you see I just want to be alone?"
Jesus' reaction at seeing a crowd all wanting someting from Him after a death in the family:
"...he had compassion on them and healed their sick."
Jesus layed aside His own personal grief to be a comfort to the crowds and to heal them of their pains and illness.
later, when an opportunity came to send the crowd away, Jesus had no food and it was time for the evening meal, again He reacted in an unusual way.
"They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat...And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people." He performed one of His most famous miracles and fed the crowd. Again showing compassion, in spite of His desire to be alone. Only after healing the crowd, and them feeding them does Jesus send them away, their needs taken care of first, and then He can be alone to pray and grieve.
This is an important lesson for Christians. Sometimes to do His will we will have to put aside our own pain and be strong and compassionate for another, even though their needs may be less severe than our own. Jesus postponed grieving for his cousin, to give some people who were hungry a meal. His need was far greater but he met theirs first. An excellent example of 'laying down ones life' for another.

Next comes Peter's walk on the water. Jesus has spent almost the entire night alone and in prayer, after sending the crowd home after the evening meal it is now '4th watch' between 3 and 6 am. This is a story which is often linked to our need to focus solely on Jesus and not our circumstances. It is only when Peter takes his eyes from Jesus and thinks about the wind and the waves that he begins to sink. Jesus is dissapointed saying "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" In spite of Jesus' dissapointment though, Peter has demonstrated much more faith than the others in the boat, he was the only one to step out. This should encourage us that even though our faith may fail at times, Jesus is never changing and next time our faith is placed in Him, we are still able to accomplish all things through Him. It is when our faith dwindles that we fail, not because Jesus lacks in any way, for he does not.

This chapter ends with another example of healing being found in His wings. "People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed." A fulfillment of Malachi 4:2.