Just Not Feeling It

“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”
Matthew 14:13-14

If you are like me you have days when you just are not feeling it. The thought of crawling back in bed is tempting. Maybe that container of ice cream is calling your name. Life has been less than easy and you just don’t want to live up to your responsibilities or deal with the difficulties you are facing - at least not right now.

I think Jesus had days when He just wasn’t feeling it either. Take this week’s passage for example. What had Jesus heard about that made Him want to get away? He had heard that John the Baptist had been beheaded by Herod the Tetrarch. The relationship between John and Jesus is not clear but it is likely that they were cousins. 

By this time Jesus had already had some run-ins with the religious leaders and the crowds of people following him, hoping to see a miracle were growing. So here He is tired, stressed and now grieving the loss of a relative. Jesus is not feeling it and tries to get away, to rest, to pray, to grieve and the crowds wouldn’t let him. 

Imagine you have decided to play hooky from life because you just aren’t feeling it when there is a knock at your door. You reluctantly open it and find a line of people - your boss, your creditors, your doctors, your friends with their own struggles - you get the idea. Now what?

I can almost see Jesus hang his head and consider the possibility of turning the boat around. What He does however is an example and encouragement for us when we are just not feeling it. Instead of leaving, He got out of the boat and did what He knew to do - He cared for the crowd, showing them compassion in the midst of his own fatigue and sorrow. Later, two amazing things happen. First, He feeds the multitude with five loaves of bread and two fish. Then in the middle of the night He we went for a walk on the lake to meet His friends on the boat. 

So this week if you are just not feeling it, don’t try to hide or avoid whatever it is. Step out and just try to deal with it, when you do something amazing may happen. You may not end up walking on water, but you may find new strength or you may bless someone else who just wasn’t feeling it.

A Prayer
Father, thank you that Your Son understands how we feel sometimes. Help us, on those days when we would rather not face it, to be obedient to You anyway. Let something amazing happen in our lives that will re-ignite our passions and give us what we need to start “feeling it” again. In the name of Jesus, who on a day when maybe He wasn’t feeling it - fed 5000 and walked on water, we pray - Amen.