Fringe Benefits

In today’s passage, the people’s reaction to Jesus is contrasted to the disciples reaction to Jesus when He walked on water.

Church has been called or described as a city on a hill. It is meant to be seen by others but what are they supposed to see?

The heart, in Hebrew thought, is the center of who the person is; it is the sum of everything about them. That is why it is so critical when someone is said to have a hardened heart. Changing the heart is just a feeling or thought change. It requires the person to change. Do people see the church and want to make a change to their life?

In the passage we are going to read this morning, we have a contrast between Jesus’ disciples and other people.

Grace (common grace) touches everyone no matter why the come to Jesus.

Left for Bethsaida but landed at Gennesaret … we don’t always know why God directs us in one direction or why He changes that direction. We aren’t always aware why God led us to a particular church or what we are to do in that church. We may think He has one thing for us but then changes that to something else. Our responsibility it to go as directed.

53 When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54 When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured. e changes that direction. We aren’t always aware why God led us to a particular church or what we are to do in that church. We may think He has one thing for us but then changes that to something else. Our responsibility it to go as directed.

Not everyone we introduce to Christ will accept the truth, most will accept His help but still refuse to truth. There is a saying in the Army, you never find an atheist in a foxhole, but that doesn’t mean everyone becomes a disciple of Christ.

In the passage we are going to read this morning, we have a contrast between Jesus’ disciples and other people.

In the previous passage, Jesus came walking on the water yet His disciples didn’t recognize Him. In today’s passage, as soon as Jesus steps off the boat, He is recognized and those who recognized Him spread the word about where He was located. But there is a key difference between the two. His disciples did not yet recognize Him as God. The other people only recognized Him as a miracle worker and healer.

Sharing information about ourselves, our lives, our families isn’t new. Before social media, we had socials. The real difference today is the number of people we can reach. We are a social people, and as such we have always shared part of our lives with others. We have gather in socials, written letters, used phones to let other people know what is going on in our lives.

This difference in recognition brings up a difference in response to Jesus. We need to ask ourselves,

When we see a good movie, read a good book, or hear a preacher we enjoy, it is in our nature to share this with other people. Social media just increased our reach.

Do we see Jesus as someone who can use us or do we see Jesus as someone we can use?

In the beginning of our passage today, we see the same concept of sharing being done. Verse 54-55 tell us that as soon as Jesus got off the boat, He was recognized and the people who recognized Him “ran about the whole country” to let others know about Him and where He was. It is normal to want to share good things with other people, especially if we know they need to hear about them.

(NASB95)

53 When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54 When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.

In the late 90’s, the term social media started being used. By the early 2000’s, it became a common place term. Through social media, we can share as much or as little about ourselves as we want. Some people, I think, go too far in what they share. I don’t really need to know what the cheese sandwich you had for lunch at home looked like or tasted like.

Sharing information about ourselves, our lives, our families isn’t new. Before social media, we had socials. The real difference today is the number of people we can reach. We are a social people, and as such we have always shared part of our lives with others. We have gathered in socials, met at barber shops, written letters, used phones to let other people know what is going on in our lives.

When we see a good movie, read a good book, or hear a preacher we enjoy, it is in our nature to share this with other people. Today’s social media just increased our reach.

In the beginning of our passage today, we see the same concept of sharing. Verse 54-55 tell us that as soon as Jesus got off the boat, He was recognized and the people who recognized Him “ran about the whole country” to let others know about Him and where He was. It is normal to want to share good things with other people, especially if we know they need to hear about them.

The people coming from all around seem to be coming for what they can get, not what they might be able to give. Let’s be honest, looking to Jesus to meet our needs is natural. After all, there are many things that only Jesus can give.

However, God isn’t a nice old granddad with white hair and a white beard, dressed like a mall Santa Clause, waiting for us to sit on His lap and give Him or yearly want list.

Too many have this view of God and they either blame Him for not getting what they want or blame Him for not running this world they way they want.

When we see God or Jesus this way, we have a problem.

Not only do we see Jesus as someone we can use, our view also tends to be how we can use other people and things.

Some make use of their Homes

53 When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54 When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.

53 When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54 When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.

53 When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54 When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.

Some make

One thing I enjoyed about being in the Army was not having to deal with the house. When something broke or wasn’t working right, we just called a number and someone came to fix it. A house stays a house if all we do is use it simply as shelter; a place to eat and sleep. When we view the house as more than something that provides for us; when we start putting us into the house; it becomes a home.

Some make use of their Friends

Have you ever answered the phone and as soon as you hear the voice on the other end, your thought is, “Ok, what do you want from me now?” For all you husbands sitting here, look at your wife. If you had treated her as just someone to use, how long do you think she would have dated you?

Some people seem to view all others as a tool to get what they want. Unless they have a need you can meet, you don’t see them.

Some make use of their Church

Church, to some people, is like a Golden Corral. You come in, pay your money then pick and chose what you want, eat your fill then leave. Some see church as a place that baptizes their children, marry’s their young and buries their dead and then the occasional visit on holidays such as Christmas and Easter. Some have the unconscious attitude, the church is there to serve them but they have no duty whatever towards it.

Some make use of God

There are some people who see God as a force they can use to help themselves. They don’t remember Him unless they feel a need for that force. Their prayers tend to be requests or demands of what they feel they need. As one writer put it, God is like a bell-hop at a hotel. You ring the bell and they hop to fulfill your needs. God becomes a supernatural bell-hop. When we kneel in prayer, a bell rings and God hops to meet our demands.

If we are honest with ourselves, we have been guilty to some extent, of one of these views. Today we have a choice to make.

How will we view Jesus?

Jesus is either a miracle worker or Jesus is God.

How will we view Jesus?

Jesus is a miracle worker or Jesus is God

If our view of Jesus is that of a miracle worker, we will continue to have the view of using people and things as well as Him. If our idea of God is a person or force we have at our disposal to get what we need or want, how differently will we see other people?

If we understand that Jesus is God, just as He has claimed to be, our view of everyone, everything as well as ourselves will be different.

If our view of Jesus is that of a miracle worker, we will continue to have the view of using people and things as well as Him. What we will care about the most are the simple fringe benefits we can gain.

If our idea of God is a person or force we have at our disposal to get what we need or want, then everyone else is just someone for us to use as well. Our view of other people will never be higher than our view of Jesus

If we understand that Jesus is God, just as He has claimed to be, our view of everyone and everything as well as ourselves will be different.

If we will remember we are saved through the grace of God, not by works, not because we are more special than anyone else but simply because God loves us, then we will be able to see people more like God sees them. We will have a better understanding of our relationship with God.

As a parent or someone who has been around kids, I am sure you can remember the different feelings you have had in how they treat you. When your children come and ask, will you give me, can I have, I need, I want, etc. you desire to give them what they ask for, to help them in their needs. But when they start to change and ask questions like, I am going to the store, what can I get for you; I am going out, while I am out, do you need me to pick up anything; etc. the whole relationship changes between you and them.

Imagine how Jesus would react if we approached Him and offered our love, our service, our devotion to Him and demanded less from Him.

When we have this view of Jesus and we understand our service to God, we can become the fringe the people seeking God reach out to grab.

Let’s pray.