Mistaken Identity, Faith without Doubt, Heaven Above!
Matthew wrote his Gospel to prove to his readers that Christ was the Messiah foretold by God in the Old Testament.
Herod Antipater, son of Herod the Great had a run in with John the Baptist..
John called him on divorcing his wife and marrying Herodias who was formerly married to his half-brother.
That earned John a spot in prison but Herodias had here revenge through her daughter dancing for Herod and grating her one wish which was to bring John’s head on a plate which he did.
Then along comes Jesus and Herod mistakes him for John.
“This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous Powers are working through him.”
Jesus wants some alone time and after feeding 5,000 men, without counting women and children, he made his disciples get into the boat and cross the sea ahead of him.
He went up the mountain by himself to pray but in the middle of the night in the middle of the sea his disciples were in trouble in the midst of a storm.
So Jesus goes to them walking on water and they think he is a ghost.
“Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid,” says Jesus.
“Lord, if it is thou, bid me to come to thee over the water,” cries Peter.
So much for Matthew 4:7 where Jesus stated “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'”
Jesus said simply “Come.”
Then Peter got out of the boat and walked on water to come to Jesus but he became afraid and called out “Lord, save me!”
As he helped him back into the boat Jesus said “O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?”
“Truly thou art the Son of God,” realized all the disciples that were in the boat.
Tragedy and miracles, faith without doubt. Don’t we all wish we possessed faith without doubt? I would settle for perseverance and am grateful to have been blessed with it at times throughout my life.
TROML Baby, one has to believe tomorrow will be better than today and that on our last tomorrow we will go to a better place than here called heaven. I believe.
Day 14: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Mistaken Identity, Faith without Doubt, Heaven Above!
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Gospel of Saint Matthew Chapter 14.
Bible Notes:
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew
Saint Matthew, also known as Levi, was a Galilean by birth.
Tax Collector at Capharnaum
Christ called him to become a disciple, and later an Apostle
After the Holy Ghost came down on the Apostles on Pentecost, Matthew preached the Gospel in Judea.
He wrote his Gospel to prove to his readers that Christ was the Messiah foretold by God in the Old Testament
Matthew Chapter 14: Herod fears that Christ is John the Baptist; Herod murdered John; Hunger of the crowd; Jesus feeds five thousand; Jesus walks on water; Peter walks on water; Other miracles.
Herod the Tetrarch—one of four joint rulers or chiefs; the ruler of the fourth part of a country or province in the ancient Roman Empire.
“This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous Powers are working through him.”
“It is not lawful for thee to have her.” John to Herod because Harod had taken Herodias, his brother’s wife.
“Give me here on a dish the head of John the Baptist.”
And out of compassion for them he cured their sick.
“We have here only five loaves and two fishes.”
Twelve baskets full of fragments
He went up the mountain by himself to pray.
He made his disciples get into the boat and cross the sea ahead of him.
It is a ghost.
“Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.”
“Lord, if it is thou, bid me to come to thee over the water.” “Come”
The Peter got out of the boat and walked on water to come to Jesus… he was afraid.. “Lord, save me!”
“O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?”
“Truly thou art the Son of God.”
And all who touched it (the tassel of Jesus’ cloak) were saved.
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