Look up to God
Welcome back, my awesome Compadres!
Jesus Christ is our perfect example [1]. One to carefully study and emulate if we can ever walk in the spirit. Jesus walked the face of the earth and left behind remarkable Scriptural truths that are applicable regardless of the time and season. One thing is apparent after careful observation of Jesus’ life, particularly when it comes to how He performed miracles. The good news is that we will surely get the same results He got if we follow His footsteps. Read along as I unearth these biblical mysteries.
Jesus was Summoned
Jesus Christ had an interesting habit of looking up. In John chapter 11, Jesus was summoned by two of His closest allies, Mary and Martha. Their message was simple: “Lord, the one you love is sick.” [2] Mary and Martha lived in a patently misogynistic and patriarchal dispensation, where men took centre stage in every facet of life while women were on the periphery. Women in that era experienced all kinds of injustice, some of which were discussed in my previous article.
Women’s voices at the time echoed through their husbands if they were married and their brothers or their closest family male figures if they were single. When their only brother and male figure in their lives took ill, the two sisters sent a messenger to Jesus with a tone of urgency; “Lord, the one you love is sick”. [2] One commentator suggests that, after Jesus’s mother, Mary and Martha may have been the most significant and influential women in His life [3].
Where have you laid him?
After hearing the message, Jesus stayed two more days before embarking on a two-day journey to Bethany. The Bible asserts that the delay was because He loved them. [3a] This suggests that sometimes God delays answering our prayers because He loves us. God desires to give us a perfect gift [3b] but can only do so in the fullness of time [3c]. When Jesus arrived, Lazarus was buried since he died four days ago. Jesus demanded where they had laid him. At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus commanded that they roll away the stone, and He looked up [4] and prayed a straightforward prayer.
Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me
Everyone else was trying to observe Lazarus’s current state. Jesus, on the other hand, looked up and prayed. The results was the coming forth of Lazarus.
Jesus Redrew to a Solitary Place
Again, in Matthew 14:13-21, after the death of John the Baptist, Jesus redrew to a solitary place, and many people followed him there; it turned out to be one of the biggest gatherings Jesus ever had. Moreover, since it was not a planned meeting, not too many came fully prepared. The crowd was captivated by Jesus’ teachings. They ended up staying there for three days. Jesus, as usual, had compassion for the people and began to put measures in place to feed them. The disciples of Jesus understandably suggested that He sent them away; Jesus, on the other hand, insisted that they fed them, being cognisant of the fact that some may not even make it back home, considering how hungry they were.
Jesus requires a seed to perform a miracle
It appears Jesus requires a seed to perform a miracle. Before He fed them, He asked the disciples what they had. They could only gather five loaves of bread and two fish. What they had was negligibly small to feed more than five thousand people, but it was enough to activate a miracle. Jesus took what they had and instructed the people to sit down. An attitude of calmness and humility is necessary to receive a heavenly response.
The Scriptures say, “…taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.” [5] A similar miracle occurred in Matthew 15:29-39, where Jesus fed more than four thousand people. He asked what they had and received seven loaves of bread and a few fish. He gave thanks, and the disciples began to distribute to the people. Jesus confirmed this scriptural truth when He said, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” [6]
Before Jesus performed the first-ever recorded miracle, turning water into wine, He asked them to fill the pots with water. This implies that if we are to receive any miracle from Jesus, we need a seed (something in our hands). It could be a small business, a little capital, a business idea, a burning desire, etc. But Jesus will require a seed from us.
Ephphatha!!
Further, Mark 7:31-35 reads
Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
Time will not allow me to discuss all the scriptures in which Jesus looked up to God and prayed. However, biblical evidence shows that it was indeed Jesus’ common habit. In John 17, Jesus looked up to God and prayed the High Priestly Prayer, where He prayed for all believers who were alive and yet to be born.
David caught the revelation
Even before the dispensation of grace, David was inspired to know the essence of looking up to God. In Psalm 121:1-2 David said, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” In our natural inclination, humans do not struggle to believe something as long as our eyes see it. Therefore, we coin adages like “seeing is believing”. The question remains: If we only believe what we see, what would a blind person believe? We tend to look up to our family and friends since we live with them in the earthly realm. Life is a contact spot, and if God will bless us, He will do it through people. So, we should be mindful and meditative in forging relationships. However, we should look up to God as our ultimate source and supply, who channels His spiritual and material blessings through human vessels.
Conclusion
Jesus Christ developed a lasting habit of looking up to God in prayer because He acknowledged God as the ultimate source. A very present help in times of trouble. [7] No matter the situation He was confronted with, Jesus always looked up. Look up to God, and He will not disappoint you!
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References
[1] 1 Peter 2:21
[2] John 11:3
[3] Ben Witherington, Women and the Genesis of Christianity (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1990), 99.
[3a] John 11:5
[3b] James 1:17
[3c] Ecclesiastes 3:11
[4] John 11:41
[5] Matthew 14:19
[6] Matthew 17:20
[7] Psalm 46:1
Comments:
Eric
It’s refreshing to have elevated the christian discourse to an easily accessible level within the reach of many believers.
God bless your ministry.
Shireen
Thank you sir, this really blessed me. God bless you for your consistent obedience.