Faithful

Faithful

Remember always, as the center of everything, Jesus Christ, a man of human ancestry, yet raised by God from the dead according to my Gospel. For preaching this I am having to endure being chained in prison as if I were some sort of a criminal. But they cannot chain the Word of God, and I can endure all these things for the sake of those whom God is calling, so that they too may receive the salvation of Jesus Christ, and its complement of glory after the world of time. I rely on this saying: If we died with him we shall also live with him: if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him. If we deny him he will also deny us: yet if we are faithless he always remains faithful. He cannot deny his own nature.
(2 Tim. 2:8-13)

Thomas Obadiah Chisolm had a difficult life as a young adult. In fact, his health was so fragile that there were times when he was confined to his bed, completely unable to work. Between bouts of illness he would have to push himself to put in extra hours at various jobs just to make ends meet. But despite his difficulties, Thomas found great comfort in the Scriptures, particularly in the fact that God was faithful to be his strength in time of illness and weakness, and to provide for his needs.

Later in life, while away on a mission’s trip, Thomas wrote several letters to one of his good friends, William Runyan, a little-known musician at the time. Occasionally, Thomas would include one of the poems he had written along with the letter. Runyan found one of Thomas' poems so moving that he decided to put it to music. The hymn got very little recognition, however, until it was discovered by a Moody Bible Institute professor who loved it so much, and requested it sung so often at chapel services, that the song became the unofficial theme song of the college. But it was not until 1954, when George Beverly Shea began to sing Great is Thy Faithfulness at the Billy Graham evangelistic crusades, that the hymn was heard around the world – some 31 years after its composition.

Fortunately, God’s faithfulness has never depended upon the faithfulness of his children. He is faithful even when we aren’t. When we lack courage, he doesn’t. In fact, he’s made a history out of using people in spite of themselves.

Take the feeding of the five thousand, for example. It’s the only miracle, aside from those of the final week of Jesus’ life, that’s recorded in all four Gospels. (Matt. 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9:10-17; and John 6:5-15) So, why did all four writers think it worth repeating? Maybe because they wanted to show how God doesn’t give up even when His people do.

That particular day began with the news of the death of John the Baptist, and it continued with the return of the disciples from a short-term mission’s trip. Following the disciples were five thousand men and their families. Jesus tried to get away from the crowd by crossing the Sea of Galilee (about 8 miles wide) to a little fishing village, Bethsaida, only to find the crowd waiting for him there. He wanted to mourn the news of John the Baptist in solitude, but instead he was surrounded by people. He wanted to spend time with just the disciples, but he got a crowd instead. He wanted time to think, but he had people to face.

So, he spent time teaching them, and then he turned to Philip and asked, “Where can we buy enough bread for all these people to eat?” (John 6:5) Keep in mind now that Philip, along with the other disciples, had just come back from casting out demons and healing the sick. (Mark 6:13) So, you’d expect him to be kind of optimistic. A little bit of faith would seem entirely appropriate. After all, he’s just spent several weeks seeing the impossible happen right before his very eyes.

But how does Philip respond? Well, he indentifies the problem alright, but has absolutely no clue how to solve it. “We would all have to work a month to buy enough food for each person to have only a little piece,” he groans. (John 6:7)

In other words, he can cite the stats, but he can’t see how to help. He can crunch the numbers, but he can’t construct the answer. And even though the very answer to prayer is standing right in front of him, he doesn’t even think to pray.

Equally disturbing is the silence of the other disciples. Are they optimistic? Well, read their words and see for yourself: “No one lives in this place and it is already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the countryside and towns around here to buy themselves something to eat.” (Mark 6:35-36)

Come on, guys. How about a little faith, huh? Maybe something along the lines of: “You can do it, Jesus. No challenge is too great for you. I mean, we’ve seen you heal the sick and raise the dead. So, feeding this crowd? That’s a clown question, bro.” But that’s not what they said. In fact, if faith were a candle, these guys had entirely flamed out.

Apparently, it never occurred to the disciples to turn the problem over to Jesus. Only Andrew came close, but even his faith was small. “Here is a boy with five loaves of barley bread and two little fish, but that is not enough for so many people.” (John 6:9)

Andrew at least comes to Jesus with an idea. But he doesn’t come with much faith. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find much faith on the hill that day.

Philip was cynical; Andrew was doubtful; and the other disciples were negative.

Look at them: they aren’t praying; they aren’t believing; they aren’t even seeking a solution. If they’re doing anything, they’re telling Jesus what to do! “Send the people away.” (Mark 6:36) A little bossy, don’t you think?

Thankfully, God is greater than our weakness. In fact, our weaknesses reveal just how great God is. He told another struggler, the apostle Paul, “When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you.” (2 Cor. 12:9) And the feeding of the five thousand is a perfect example of this principal. In fact, the scene answers the question, “What does God do when his children are weak?”

But if God ever needed an excuse to give up on people, he had one here. Surely God is going to banish these followers until they learn to believe. But is that what he does? You decide. “Then Jesus took the loaves of bread, thanked God for them, and gave them to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, giving as much as the people wanted.” (John 6:11)

When the disciples didn’t pray, Jesus prayed. When the disciples didn’t see God, Jesus sought God. When the disciples were weak, Jesus was strong. When the disciples had no faith, Jesus had faith – and he thanked God.

For what? The crowds? The pandemonium? The weariness? The faithless disciples? No, he thanked God for the basket of bread and two little fish. He ignored the clouds and found the ray of sunshine and thanked God for it. And look what he does next. “Jesus divided the bread and gave it to his followers, who gave it to the people.” (Matt. 14:19)

In other words, rather than punishing the disciples, he employs them! There they go, passing out the bread they didn’t request, enjoying the answer to the prayer they didn’t even pray. If Jesus would have reacted according to the faith of his disciples, the multitudes would have starved. But he didn’t. And he doesn’t. God is true to us even when we forget him.

God’s blessings are dispensed according to the riches of his grace, not according to the depth of our faith. Like our text states, “If we are faithless he always remains faithful. He cannot deny his own nature.” (2 Tim. 2:13)

Why is that important to know? So we won’t get cynical. I mean, just look around you. Aren’t there more mouths to feed than there’s bread available? Aren’t there more wounds to heal than physicians can possibly mend? Aren’t there more who need the truth than those who’re available to tell it? Aren’t there more churches asleep than there are churches on fire?

So what do we do? Throw our hands up and walk away? Tell the world we can’t help them? That’s what the disciples wanted to do.

No, we don’t give up. We look up. We trust. We believe. And our optimism is not empty, or hollow. Christ has proven worthy. He has shown that he never fails even though there is nothing but failure in us.

God is faithful even when his children aren’t. That’s what makes God, God.

Grace,

Randy