Mark 7:24-29 Jesus left that place (Capernaum) and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” 28 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”
 
IF you have a dog and a small child in the house, you notice how quickly the dog learns to get next to the child at meal time. The dog knows crumbs will fall, and he will eat. Do you know to go next to Jesus? Even a “crumb” of his glory will satisfy your appetite for love and joy in your life.  
   It seems Jesus needed some rest, so he left Israel for a ministry break in Tyre. The town still exists today along the Mediterranean Sea and just north of Israel’s border. He wanted to remain unnoticed in a house. But soon a desperate mother heard, “Jesus of Nazareth is here.” In faith she immediately went to him.
   It’s not easy for her to do this. She is a woman, considered a second-class citizen. She is a Gentile. In Matthew’s account, the disciples urged Jesus, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” (Matthew 15:23b) Jesus also seemed to be against her: Matthew 15:24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” And here in Mark: “First let he children eat all they want.”  Still she kept going to Jesus because she knew he saved, restored and renewed life.  
   The mother’s faith is relentless. She spoke with victory. Fully trusting Jesus’ authority she knows a crumb is all she needs from the LORD God. Jesus tells us many times the kingdom of heaven begins small and grows to giant portions. The Syrian Phoenician woman goes home celebrating God’s victory for her daughter.
   Do you ever feel God is against you? Do you think he has reserved his favor for others? We can learn from this woman’s response. She knew what Jesus was doing. She quickly and confidently went to him. She did not argue with Jesus about his mission to the Jews. This faithful mother accepted her position and confessed all she needed was a little. There was no anger, no self-pity, no self-serving, “I deserve what you’re giving the Jews!” She knew only a little from him would conquer the demon. Jesus loved her faith. “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”
   The woman never questioned or doubted Jesus. She simply believed. Her belief took her to Jesus. Her belief submitted to his authority. Her belief pleased the Lord, and he healed her daughter.
   When you believe God is too far from you, remember his very personal promise to be near you: Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Be passionate to seek God’s favor. Be faithful to his authority and wait for his response. He will reveal himself to you.

Mark 7:21-23 For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean’.
 
NOW you know. Jesus’ parable labels sin “unclean”. But the sin nature wants to say, “I’m clean!” Mankind redefines sin to our own convenience. Adultery is “sexual freedom”. Folly is, “I deserve to have some fun.” Lewdness is, “That’s the language of the day.” Sexual immorality is, “I’m born that way.” Greed is “getting what I deserve.”
   Yes, we’re born into the ways of evil, so we create a vocabulary to turn evil to good. “Choice” “rights” “freedom” are a few words that hide the unrighteousness in  our hearts from our consciousness. We are sinners who begin life far short of the glory God wills for our lives.
   So then, what do you do? We have considered how the Bible can be difficult to understand. But the Bible is quite plain about cleaning your heart. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Yes, you confront your sins. The Bible tells you what they are. You know what they are. You then speak with humility and contrition, “I confess, Lord that I have ________.” You say the sin. You name the sin because it becomes more real to you. You might even write it down to more personally realize its impact on your life, your relationship with others and your relationship with God. The more closely you confront it, the more quickly you will want to repent – to cast it out of your life and turn from it because it becomes too real to keep.
   The second step is to tell Jesus, “Thank you, Jesus, for saving me.” Know and acknowledge he does purify you in your confession and repentance through his eternal work on the cross: 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. When your confession is real, his salvation for eternal life is real for you.
   Third, continue to pray against temptation. Demonic forces will continue to accuse you. Turn them away with, “Jesus is my Lord, my Savior, my King! Be gone from my life.” Know that Jesus is rebuking the demons for their accusations. And he’s interceding for you. Through the Holy Spirit, the Savior is with you. There is a beautiful passage in Zechariah that gives us picture of Jesus’ redemptive work: Zechariah 3:3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you.”
   This is a most remarkable gift! Your salvation is the evidence of God’s cleansing righteousness. His blood cleans you. He is holy and just, faithful to fulfill his promise to save the lost. How precious you are to him! He has paid the full price to welcome you home.
   Confess your sin. Trust his forgiveness. Be clean on the inside.   

Mark 7:17-20 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? 19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”)
 
DO you leave church after a sermon, go home after a Bible study, or close this email and ask, “What was that about?” I hope not. But it is likely at times you do.
   Learning God’s Word and applying it to your life is a difficult task. One reason is the Bible that is the result of a translation from Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Even with the best translations we can easily misinterpret the original meaning of God’s truth. That’s why Bible teaching requires knowledgeable teachers.
   Even under the most careful teaching, students in a church, classroom or Bible study will often understand the text in their own view. Their prior learning and life experiences have a significant impact on the way we receive God’s Word. Teachers can become frustrated when students do not understand.  
   Jesus, the perfect Teacher, was frustrated. His teachings were not penetrating the disciples’ minds. How would you respond to his surprising rebuke, “Are you so dull? Don’t you see…?” If he admonished us in this manner, we would likely be embarrassed and afraid to ask any further questions. What was his intention here?
   One clue is in the Lord’s similar response to his disciples in Mark 4:13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?”  He taught parables to help people understand basic life principles. But the disciples didn’t comprehend the parables’ applications. At what point would they begin to know?
   Another clue to understanding Jesus’ hard response comes from Jeremiah 5:4 I thought, “These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God. 5 So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God.” But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. Jesus saw his disciples trapped in the culture’s ignorance regarding the LORD. They had rejected the yoke – the way of learning. Because of the false teachings corrupting the culture, the disciples had missed the bonds of God’s truth uniting his people. The disciples seemed as dull as the Pharisees.
   Jesus needed his disciples to be sharp. They are being taught as no one had ever been taught before. If they can’t learn the truth, how will the teaching continue? He’s calling them, “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:14)
   Are you confused about the Bible? Be purposeful to find a way to learn it, so you God’s truth will sharpen your mind. And you can sharpen others. That’s the way of the kingdom. The church is based on the foundations of the apostles’ teaching. The Lord needed them to know, so the foundation would be secure. This is your mission, too, so the church is prepared for Jesus’ return.

Mark 7:14-15 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.’”
 
HOW do you like change? The truth is, we all like what we know. Many influences through years of our lives have formed our minds into particular beliefs and prejudices we tightly hold. Not even God’s power seems capable of prying loose those things that limit our lives!
   That’s why Jesus said, “Listen!” It was time for a change of mind in Israel. God’s power stood in the Galilean town that day to tell the Jews there was something more about God they needed to know.
   Jesus emphasized the food and drink we consume do not determine our relationship with God. We understand that, but this would have surprised and confused the Jews. In the law God often stipulated that many things would make a person unclean. For example he said in Leviticus 5:2 “Or if a person touches anything ceremonially unclean – whether the carcasses of unclean wild animals or of unclean livestock or of unclean creatures that move along the ground – even though he is unaware of it, he has become unclean and is guilty. Five times he spoke “unclean”. It seems that there are things from outside that can make the Jews unclean. But Jesus said, “Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him.”  Remember, Jesus was teaching Jews who have heard these laws their entire lives. Was Jesus changing the law?
   In truth, Jesus was fulfilling the law. In the Sermon on the Mount he stated one reason for his coming: Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” The LORD had established moral, worship and dietary laws to teach Israel how they are his people, unlike all other people in the world. God’s plan was to work his salvation for the world through stages of revelation. On that day Jesus revealed to the Jews that the food we eat will not affect our moral standing with God. The words you say, and the things you do against God’s law will make you unclean. He said it another way in Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 
   Jesus tried very hard to change the Jews’ minds about righteousness. And the Holy Spirit continues to work to help us understand this essential truth. It seems so simple to know the essence of our relationship with God is our heart’s faithfulness to his Word. But the sinful mind is difficult to change. The ongoing sin of mankind’s heart is to believe we must do something for our salvation. We can repeatedly hear and read the assurance of Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
   But there is often the nagging question, “Have I done enough? Am I clean before God?” All other religions stress the importance of one’s own effort to satisfy the deity or figure they worship. Our sinful mind is consumed with guilt.
   That’s why we must consume Jesus’ teaching and know his grace. The food we eat that makes us clean is God’s Word. We are not under dietary laws for holiness’ sake. Salvation comes to us because God has acted into the world to declare his salvation by grace through the faith he gives to us! And let’s consider these words from Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
 

Mark 7:9-13 He went on, “Well, good for you. You get rid of God’s command, so you won’t be inconvenienced in following the religious fashions! 10 Moses said, ‘Respect your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.’ 11 But you weasel out of that by saying that it’s perfectly acceptable to say to father or mother, ‘Gift?! What I owed you I’ve given as a gift to God,’ 12 thus relieving yourselves of obligation to father or mother. 13 You scratch out God’s Word and scrawl a whim in its place. You do a lot of things like this.” (from THE MESSAGE)
 
IF you have thought, “Jesus loves everyone. He is always patient and kind with us.” then it’s good to pay close attention to his sharp rebuke of the Pharisees.
   Our Lord condemned the way they got rid of God’s command, so they wouldn’t be inconvenienced in following the religious fashions. In other words, they did what they wanted for their own convenience.
   Jesus was angry in the way they weaseled out of the fifth commandment: Exodus 20:11
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”  And there were other laws of Moses regarding care for one’s parents. Jesus completely denounced their habit of the “gifts” also called Corben. Corben was to dedicate money to God for a sacred purpose. A man could tell his parents, “The money I have to support you is dedicated to God.” That may seem a good thing until we understand the man could use the money for his own purpose. In effect, the Pharisees dedicated money to themselves and dishonored their parents!
   How dare we form our own understanding of God apart from his Word! When it seems the Bible limits us, we must remember God’s Word is written to expand our lives into the fullness of his blessing. God loves you. He has written a love letter to  you. The Spirit has inspired men to write his Word over centuries to help mankind understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. (Ephesians 3:19)
   Yet, you and I too often live with ambivalence and doubt in God’s great love. With a mere whim of our own desires, we want to believe that our words are better than God’s Word. Each time we read of the Pharisees’ self-righteous sin, it is appropriate to consider our own lives. Jesus’ scolding words. “You do a lot of things like this.” easily apply to each one of us.
   How patient is our Lord to held back his final judgment! He demonstrated his righteous anger due the men who conspired to replace God as Israel’s highest authority. He had suffered mankind’s prideful abuse since the Garden. The sinful mind scrawls its own whims, serving our own desires. For the corrupt mind, everything has pointed to the self.
   Yet, the God who is love has come to redeem this sin, so our minds point to him. This is a sign of his great love for all of us.
   Know, love and honor God’s Word. Write his true Word on your heart. He has written it for you. 2 Timothy 3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  
 

Mark 7:1-8 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and 2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean,” that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.) 5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?” 6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.’”
 
THE Pharisees and teachers of the law were two designations of the Jewish religious establishment. The teachers could have been scribes or rabbis who supported the Pharisees. The Pharisees had a higher level of education to study the Scriptures and even memorize large portions. These groups were created after the Babylon exile to preserve the Jews’ religion against Gentile corruption. But sadly they became corrupt, creating a long list of restrictive laws to control the Jews’ hearts and minds. As all who control others, they wanted to remain in control.   
   The Pharisees’ control was Israel’s darkness. Their hand-washing challenge to the disciples was not about hygiene. God’s law had ample directions for cleanliness. This is about a ceremonial washing the Pharisees’ required to exhibit outward devotion to God.
   Devotion to God – not to man –  is always the center of Jesus’ debates with these controlling men. They could not see God’s grace and mercy standing before them to deliver them from their rules. Isaiah warned this would happen: their teachings are but rules taught by men. Although the Pharisees washed their hands, they could not clean their hearts. They had forgotten God’s law centered on loving God and loving others. The teachers and Pharisees centered on loving themselves.
   Jesus longed for them to see their error, to live in the freedom the LORD had promised for his people. That’s why he had come to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. (Isaiah 61:1b)   
   Are you “lawful” about your relationship with God beyond what he commands? Some who say they follow Jesus dress a certain way to prove their piety. Some read only particular Bible versions declaring others ungodly. Some reject certain foods. Our human hearts contrive many ways to control others. Too many of us judge others’ dirt and do not clean our own lives. This self-focused “religiousness” tells the world the same thing the Pharisees told the Jews: “God’s law is not enough. Look at us.”
   Be careful what you do. Be sure your life points to God, not to you.
 

Mark 6:47-50 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
 
DO you ever think, “I don’t know enough about Jesus.” Be assured, you’re not alone. Even the disciples who walked “in the dust of the rabbi” – a phrase indicating they walked closely to him to hear his every word – had much to learn about Jesus. When it seemed they had seen all Jesus could do, he did even more. He continually revealed his glory to the disciples with purposeful demonstrations of his rule over the laws of nature.   
   Jesus needed to continue to impress upon them he is God. He had chosen the 12 for a very special calling on their lives. They were struggling to believe in him as God’s Son. Not only had they doubted his ability to feed the thousands, it seemed each time an “impossible” issue confronted the 12, they lacked the faith to turn to Jesus and excitedly urge, “What will you do now?” Jesus arranged this challenge on the sea to deepen the disciples’ understanding of his deity.
   Jesus also gave flesh to the Scriptures: Job 9:8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. Yes, this is a poetic image of God’s infinite majesty. And it literally describes what Jesus did in those early morning hours. The Living Word says only God has the power to walk on water. Who is on the water? It is the One who stretches out the heavens. The disciples would need to know and remember these power demonstrations. Soon Jesus would command them to tell a doubting world the LORD God had come to earth to be Savior. He pushed their faith to the limit, so their faith would go beyond their limits. They needed to know that he truly is Lord of heaven and earth (Matthew 11:25b) The apostles’ future work would be most effective when they truly believed Jesus’ words to them in Matthew 19:26 “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
   The illustration for our lives is easy to see. We can often be terrified of things we think we see. Our minds create images of distress and doom as we wonder how we will navigate the dangers straining against us. Jesus wants you to know he is with you. “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
   In the years ahead, there would be many days when the apostles would need to recall such moments. They could take courage! because they knew Jesus was walking with them.
   The same is true for you. Jesus clearly has demonstrated he is God. Do you see him? 

Mark 6:45-46 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
 
WE read in Mark 1:35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Alone with the Father, the Son of Man prepared for his work throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. (Mark 1:39)
   Here we read that prayer concluded a day of God’s glory revealed in Jesus’ teaching and feeding thousands. Perhaps in the early morning he prayed for the Spirit to empower and protect him for the work. He would have asked for wisdom to lead him on the paths of righteousness for the LORD’s purpose. In the evening he would have prayed thanksgiving for the Father’s and Spirit’s provision for the hungry of body and soul.
   We see in these details a glimpse of Jesus’ earthly life. He is the LORD of heaven and earth incarnate. With one command he fed thousands. He taught with powerful and even disturbing words to prick their hearts and open those lost in darkness to see Jesus, the Light of Life. And then the Lord of Hosts worked as an usher, dismissing the crowd. He arranged his disciples’ transportation. Jesus worked in the world as we all do, even as he did the Father’s world-changing work.
   The King teaches us kingdom living. Each day we enter God’s purpose. It’s good and necessary to spend time in prayer, so we are prepared for each day’s challenges and triumphs. In the evening it is good to thank God for the day. Celebrate the victories he has given you and the strength to persevere through unresolved issues. Your thankful heart is a worshipful heart, praising God that he is your Father, Savior and Counselor. You rejoice even on the very hard days because the Lord Jesus has told you through his life, death and resurrection, “I love you. I am with you always.”
   Even though Jesus isolated himself from people, Jesus was not on a solitary mission. The Son was joined with the Father and Spirit. He needed their help. God defines himself as a helper many times. Moses and the prophets praised God, my helper (Exodus 18:4). They thanked God for preserving their lives and giving Israel victories over their enemies: Psalms 118:7 The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies. And Jesus promised he would send the Helper to aid the disciples’ work: John 15:26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.”
   The Hoy Trinity is a unity of activity to advance God’s kingdom. As Jesus helped the disciples and the crowd on the Galilean plain that day, he exhibited God’s very personal touch on his people. When you believe in God, you can believe with all your heart he is helping you live a faithful life. Each day be mindful to pray for his leading and to pray thanksgiving for his presence in your life. Pray for others, that the Helper will strengthen, encourage and care for them. Know you will be victorious over all things because you know Psalms 121:1 I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Mark 6:40-44 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
 
JESUS feeds 5,000 man, and may believe there were an additional 5 - 7,000 women and children. As we pray for people needs, we find hope in God’s goodness to feed his people.
   Yes, you’ve probably read and heard this story often. In a like manner, you’ve also heard, “Jesus saves.” Do you see how this magnificent miracle of “Jesus feeds the 5,000” is the perfect picture of the miraculous “Jesus saves”?
   On that day thousands had come to hear Jesus teach the true word of God. They were hungry to know: Is the Messiah here? As Jesus taught, the Living Word began to fill them as he promised: Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. A nourishing meal to the stomach is life to the body. The righteous word to the soul is life eternal.
   We need regular meals, don’t we? One meal of even the best food cannot sustain us for very long. This is also true of God’s teachings. A strong spiritual life requires regular meals of God’s life-giving and life-sustaining words. That’s why we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Jesus teaches us to pray for our daily food. And he teaches us to pray for his life- giving truth.
   John 6 tells us more of Jesus’ teachings about two days after this miracle. Jesus was debating the Pharisees and teaching a large gathering of disciples – more than the chosen 12. To emphasize to the Jews he is the Bread of Life (John 6:35), Jesus spoke this very radical announcement: John 6:51 “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
   Then he added, “Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven.” (John 6:57-58a) The Jews and disciples were astonished, and many left him because they could not understand. Jesus urged them to look past the daily bread to know they needed eternal bread; they needed him: John 6:63 “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit, and they are life.”
   We know the physical eating will end one day. As we are persistent to eat food each day, we must be as hungry for God’s Word. In Jesus Christ this is eternal life. Eat the Bread of Life and live.

Mark 6:38-39 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five – and two fish.” 39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.
 
DO you think the Christian life requires you to be busy with many tasks? After all, Jesus taught us to be active kingdom citizens, even to the point of sacrificing our lives. We also have the direct admonition from James 2:20 faith without deeds is useless. James even reminds us that Abraham, the spiritual founder of our faith, was rewarded for his supremely faithful response to God’s command: James 2:21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. As we learn, God stopped Abraham from slaying his son. But Abraham’s actions revealed his complete faith, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” (Genesis 22:8)
   To obey Jesus’ command to be salt and light (from Matthew 5) requires we do things that make a difference in your own and others’ lives. When you belong to a church, you are asked, “How will you use your gifts?” And yet, we must know within the work there are good times to go and sit down.
   Jesus had just finished speaking to thousands of people. “Church” was done. Jesus and his leadership team had a quick meeting. The disciples essentially said, “There’s neither food nor money.” Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” What were they to do?
   Instead of sending the crowd home Jesus committed the work to the Father. He told his leaders to distribute the fish and loaves. The Son blessed the meal. The Father provided. The disciples faithfully did the work. The crowd received the blessing.
   The point here is to be mindful the church is a community of believers formed to bless and receive blessing. One of the Bible’s oldest and most used blessings is Numbers 6:24-26 The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. The fundamental meaning to this is that God’s people are to recognize God’s blessings when they are faithful to his commands. It’s easy to keep striving for more and believing we have more “salt and light” work to do. But the people on the plain that day would not have received God’s benevolent care and personal attention if they had stood up to search for food. Jesus taught them much about kingdom living that day, even to sit and await the Lord’s blessings.
   There are occasions when you diligent workers are to sit down. Your Father wants to bless your work. He wants you to see his face shining on you because he is pleased with you. Sometimes you are the leader to direct the doing. Sometimes you are the worker. Sometimes you go sit down, and you receive blessings of others’ work. That’s a good balance for a good Christian life.