1566 Why We Wait

Whatever it is you are needing, God can provide it in an instant. Whatever it is you’re fighting, God can clear it immediately. He can … so why hasn’t he?

Why isn’t God acting immediately? Why are you still waiting? Why does it feel like you’re waiting in a long line to get to God, and that line isn’t moving? Will your turn ever come? Will God ever attend to your needs?

Matthew 15 tells the story of Jesus healing many people, but the people were gathered waiting. Waiting on their turn with Jesus. Waiting on his touch. And as they waited in a large crowd, they saw the miracles for many others. In fact this whole story is more about their need while they were waiting than the miracle they were there to receive.

Verse 29-38, “Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.”So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children.”

They’re waiting on the touch of Jesus to the point of starvation. And Jesus miraculously provides an overflowing all-you-can-eat meal for thousands of people that day from only 7 loaves of bread and a few small fish. Yay, Jesus! That’s amazing. But, what I want to know is … why was Jesus making them wait?

Really, didn’t Jesus have the power to say in an instant, “everyone here is healed, now go home.” Jesus could have healed the whole crowd in the first 10 minutes of this gathering, yet here they are 3 days later without food, still waiting. This wait was unnecessary. This delay seems almost cruel.

And I bet your wait feels unnecessary. Your delay feels almost cruel. Why isn’t God doing what he can do immediately?

We know Jesus didn’t have to actually touch each person to heal them. In fact the story immediately before this in the same chapter is of a mother coming to Jesus asking him to heal her daughter who is tormented by a demon. The daughter wasn’t there, yet Jesus healed her with just his word and in a moment. Verse 28, “And from that moment her daughter was healed.” So, this crowd waiting to be touched by Jesus one by one wasn’t even necessary.

We also know Jesus can heal more than 1 person at a time. Luke 17 tells the story of 10 lepers who stood at a distance and yelled from their hiding places, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Jesus healed all of them as they were walking away to the priest. He didn’t touch them. And the entire group received healing at the same time.

So, tell me again, why is this group of thousands gathered in the middle of no where with no food,