Victorious Limp

Jab 1

Steve James was inspired by the generosity of his daughter, Brittney. In 1998, then-16-year-old Brittney chose to sponsor a Kenyan boy, Newton, through the Christian Children’s Fund. She hoped one day to meet the young boy in person. But she never made it to Kenya. In 2001, Brittney was discovered dead in her apartment. She was only 19.

To honor her memory, Steve went to Kenya to meet Newton six months later. He also gathered supplies and medical equipment to take on his trip. As a certified registered nurse anesthetist, Steve wanted to use his medical skills to help Kenyan patients.

But he wasn’t prepared for the scope of the suffering he encountered. When he returned to the US, he told everyone about the problem of unmet medical needs in Kenya. Steve and his wife, Greta, founded Kenya Relief to help.

“There were times when we would pass out medicine from the back of a van,” remembers Steve. “On one trip, we saw 800 patients a day, a total of 2,400 people . . . Unfortunately, we were unable to fully care for them because of limited resources.”

A decade later, James and his team created Brittney’s Home of Grace, a 60-acre orphanage outside of Migori, Kenya. Dozens of children are cared for there. Even adults receive medical care. Kenya Relief kept expanding with separate dormitories for boys and girls, a library, a cafeteria, and more. Steve was also determined to build a school and a hospital.

Jab 2

In 2009, 19-year-old Zach Crotty died of an accidental drug overdose in his picture-postcard hometown of Colden, New York. Afterward, his parents, Mark and Suzanne, discovered his journals, detailing his addiction to illegal drugs and prescription painkillers as well as his regret that he wasn’t living the kind of life he’d wanted. He’d been in and out of rehab and had even seen a psychiatrist who prescribed more drugs for this already drug-addicted young man. Prophetically, Zach often wrote that he hoped his journals would save the lives of others, something he couldn’t seem to do for himself.

As a way to help other individuals and families dealing with addiction, the Crottys decided to open up about Zach’s life. It wasn’t easy for them emotionally, but they published his writings on a blog and as a book. “It won’t bring Zach back, but I’ll keep telling Zach’s story, so other people can share it,” said Suzanne Crotty. “Even if we help just one person, we’ve made a difference.”

But the Crottys didn’t stop there. Working with local politicians, they helped to get the I-STOP Act passed in New York. As of March 2015, all New York practitioners (except veterinarians) must issue all prescriptions in electronic format. New York practitioners are already required to consult an online registry of prescription histories for patients before prescribing certain controlled substances. The Crottys hope this law will reduce doctor shopping among addicts, who often lie about their prescriptions to get more drugs.

Jab 3

Living in an area of Africa where she saw and lived through terrible abuse simply because she was a woman.

Flora Mwikali Kanyole knew she had to do something and the Lord had burdened her heart for girls and young women who had also grown up in these situations.

She says, “Despite having done a project with women in partnership with another organization, the Lord kept pushing me to start rescuing girls. At first, I thought big girls but the reality on the ground turned out different. After the program with women in 2014, I was in prayer and was asking God what He wanted me to do because He had made it clear that what I had done was not exactly what He was calling me to. My heart was not at peace at all. My birthday is 25th May. In 2015, through my birthday I took some days to pray and fast as I asked the Lord to lead me to what I’d do with the calling He had placed in my heart. On the 3rd day of my prayers the Lord’s voice was clear when He said: “Enough of talking, it is time to act.” I asked Him, “But Lord I have been praying for funds and I have not gotten anything?” He said, “Use what you have.” No, when you have walked with the Lord, you know His voice; you know when He has commanded and when it can be a discussion point. I knew this was not a discussion point. The Master had spoken, and I was ready to obey at all costs. I just didn’t know how tough the costs would be.

When the Lord said I use what I have, all I had was my rent. This is what I used to bring eleven girls to school on the 8th of June, 2015. This marked the beginning of the story of the New scent Centre. In the midst of tough times, being auctioned and homeless for a week after starting the ministry, we have continued to experience God’s love, grace, and power. Each day brings its own good. The challenges fuel our faith and total dependence on God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Elijah, has shown Himself faithful in the midst of so many things.”

Explanation

Matthew 14:13–22 NLT

As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.” “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered. “Bring them here,” he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children! Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home.

We remember this great testimony of Jesus working to feed 5,000 people with just 5 loaves and 2 fish.

-Evidence of the great work that God wanted to do through Jesus and his Jesus’ dependence on the Father for the work to be done.

BUT I want us to put this into a perspective that we might never have thought about before.

AS SOON AS JESUS HEARD THE NEWS.....I had passed by this many times and not even thought much about this.

-Its very possible that anytime we had read this story of feeding the 5 thousand that we may not have read up to that point in scripture, but instead starting reading at this great story and marveled at what Jesus was doing

WHAT NEWS?

-Jesus’ cousin John the baptist had just been beheaded.

-It was a political move by the wife of Herod whose name was Herodias .....Herod wanted to kill John because he had disagreed with Herod marrying his Brother’s sister Herodias

-After telling Herodias daughter she could have anything she wanted because she did a dance that was pleasing to him

-Herodias saw the chance to do something that would benefit them .....a power play as we call it today.

-Herodias told her daughter to ask for John’s head on a tray

-So it was done as she had asked

-it was not the glorious death of a martyr and it was definitely not expected, but John died alone in a prison

THIS IS WHAT JESUS WAS JUST TOLD

-Jesus’ had just experienced possibly the greatest familial loss of his whole life in a political move that was heartless and calculated to accomplish a crushing blow to John and his followers

and Jesus’ first reaction was one that possibly most of us would follow.....he left so he could be alone

HOWEVER

-When people saw that he was leaving in a boat they followed him.

-They told their friends what was going on

-People from all cities in the area flocked to see what Jesus was going to do next.

the people who were following him didn’t know what was going on in his life.

Jesus decided for one reason or another not to share what was going on with the crowd, but there was something very significant that scriptures mentions that we need to hear from him.

Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Last week we talked about how Jesus:

Heard- the cry of Bartimaeus

Stopped- all that he was doing and took time to talk with and heal Bartimaeus

Today scripture tells us that Jesus SAW.....

-He was in enough pain that his desire was to separate himself from people whom he loved and served with everything he had.

-He wanted to mourn the death of a family member who he had grown up with, who had baptized him and was there at a pivotal moment at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

-So Jesus was in a considerable amount of pain because someone he loved had died even though he knew he would see him again one day the relational separation was painful.

Jesus didn’t scold the people for crowding him, or just tell them he needed time to be alone and to please give him his space.

When Jesus SAW the people, and SAW their need his heart was moved to compassion for them

-the compassion he had for them moved him to action and he spent time with them healing the sick people among them

JESUS CONTINUED HIS MISSION ALL DAY UNTIL DINNER TIME

-the disciples came to Jesus knowing what he found out earlier in the day

-probably not only thinking of the people, but also the fact that Jesus did want to be alone to mourn

-the disciples suggested he send the people away so they could go to a near by town and find something to eat

Jesus Challenged them to feed the people and, through one of the greatest miracles we remember from Jesus’ ministry, he prayed and broke the bread and fish until all were fed until they were full.

Application

Jesus’ still served the people in the middle of great personal pain and tragedy

-He could have been angry with the people because he just needed some alone time to grieve the loss of his family member, but when Jesus was tested and put under pressure all that came out of his life was love for those who were in need.

Jesus shows us a balance between isolating ourselves in the midst of pain and how serving in our pain can bring joy.

-When tragedy strikes we need time to mourn and to grieve, but running away and remaining secluded is not healthy for us either.

-There should be no pressure in our lives that says “get over it” or “aren’t you better now” however Jesus shows us that serving people can bring us joy and even help heal our wounds.

Our pain does not disqualify us, but might uniquely qualify to serve those with similar pain in their lives.

-Jesus was known as a suffering servant and we find comfort knowing he understands our pain.

-In that sense we can be like Jesus is for us to other people and give comfort to someone who is going through a similar experience.

Jesus served others in his pain, but not alone

-Jesus leaned on his team who answered the call to serve with him.

-We always need to work in a team when it comes to ministry, but serving in times of tragedy we need each person to bring what God has gifted them so that ministry does not become a burden.

Brennan Manning suggests that “the New Testament depicts another picture of the victorious life: Jesus on Calvary. The biblical image of the victorious life reads more like the victorious limp. Jesus was victorious not because He never flinched, talked back, or questioned; but having flinched, talked back, and questioned, He remained faithful” (Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel [Colorado Springs: Multnomah Publishers, 1990], 182). As believers we serve with that same victorious limp. Some of our greatest moments of ministry will come out of our greatest moments of pain.