A Winning Perspective
Matthew 14:13-21
December 2007
Introduction
Vince Lombardi once said: Winning isn’t the most important thing, but the will to win is everything
Our society seems to be obsessed with winning. If you doubt me, go watch a little league ball game or junior soccer. The parents are more into the games than the children. Winning is indeed an obsession. For many people winning means to be the very best. Sports seem to give us some prime examples of this.
The NCAA tournament and the Final Four is college basketball’s highest point of competition. Every team that makes it to the final four must win 4 games to get there, if they lose in the final four are they losers because they lost one out of four? Most people would say yes, the difference between winning and losing is perspective. Keeping and maintaining a proper perspective is what makes us winners in life. What does it take to have a winning perspective? It takes hard work, determination, and a good attitude.
Perspective has been defined as the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance. The perspective that we have as Christians is that anything is possible for God. Our perspective is changed by the work and actions of Jesus.
“Winners have the ability to step back from the canvas of their lives like an artist gaining perspective. They make their lives a work of art / an individual masterpiece.” Dennis Waitley
Jesus gives us a model for having a victorious perspective. Look at all of the events in the life of Jesus and you will see one aspect shine through; His powerful perspective. Think about that for just a moment. Here are just a few moments from the gospels that reveal a winning perspective.
Jesus called Matthew to be a disciple when he was still a tax collector
Jesus slept in the middle of a storm on the sea
Jesus changes Simon’s name to Peter when he acts more like a pebble than a rock
Jesus went to the home of Lazarus three days after he died
Jesus went to the home of Zacheaus
Jesus forgave those who crucified Him
Jesus kept a positive perspective about people and about the events unfolding around Him. Jesus knew that God the Father was in control of His future and that He could not be in better hands. Nothing was going to happen to Him without God’s consent. The same is true of your life as well.
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 As evening approached, 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 themselves some food." 16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." 17 "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. 18 "Bring them here to me," he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. 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. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Matthew 14:13-21
Jesus had a winning perspective
Just about everything in life is a matter of perspective. As these events unfold, Jesus hears the news about John the Baptist being killed. John was Jesus’ cousin, ministry predecessor and personal friend. The news of his death would have been an emotional blow. Jesus needed some time to grieve and tried to get away from the crowds to be alone. Jesus wanted some time to mourn and to pray. In an effort to do this Jesus crosses to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
The crowds saw that Jesus was leaving and they followed Him to the other side. Jesus drew people to Him like a magnet and this moment is no exception. The people needed Jesus and so they followed Him. The crowds were literally waiting for Jesus when He reached the other side.
When Jesus saw the crowds of people, I wonder if He wasn’t tempted to send them away. This was most definitely not part of His plan. Remember he left the other side to be alone and now He is once again surrounded by crowds of people. There were again more people to take care of and more people to make demands on His time. Most of us would have asked people to leave and got the time we needed alone. Instead of turning people away, Jesus ministered to their needs. Jesus revealed the depth of His compassion and the power of His perspective.
Jesus teaches a winning perspective
Before you can give something to someone else, you must first have it yourself. Jesus shows a tremendous perspective in this situation. He was living out the lesson He was about to teach.
The disciples are seeing the crowds with the backdrop of the setting sun. They do most people would do in their situation. They start to get worried and then they start to panic. The massive crowd was no doubt getting hungry and hungry people sometimes get restless. The disciples were worried that the people might start to riot. From the disciples’ perspective, Jesus needed to let the people go so they could go into nearby villages and find something to eat. Can you imagine a crowd of 25000 people trying to get food in a small village? It would not have worked too well.
Jesus issues what seems like an impossible challenge, He tells them to feed the crowds. The disciples saw the people as a problem; Jesus saw them as potential for a miracle. The disciples lacked a winning perspective. Instead of winning, they whined. There was not enough food, there were too many people and it was going to be too hard to feed all of those people.
We criticize the disciples but don’t we do the same thing? We focus on problems instead of looking for what God wants to do. We miss the potential that god has waiting for us. We whine to God about not having the right spiritual gifts, not having the resources we need for the church and we complain about all sorts of things. We lose focus on the things that really matter and we forget that sometimes God wants to stretch us.
Jesus sees the situation and realizes that the perspective of the disciples is going to get nowhere fast. Jesus sees the disciples doubt, the hungry people and decides to take action. Jesus uses the occasion to teach the disciples a winning perspective. Jesus takes the little bit of food that they have and begins the miracle. God can and will use the resources that we have for His kingdom. In the hands of Jesus even the smallest amount of resources can do the miraculous.
Jesus gives a winning perspective
Jesus understood that having a winning perspective starts with being God focused. Jesus offered what he had to God and allowed God to do the rest. When we give all that we have and all that we are over to God, he performs the miracles in our lives. He uses us for His glory and we gain what only He can do.
A winning perspective is focused on what God can accomplish, not what we can accomplish. It is allowing God to use us to do His divine work. When we are faced with challenges, we need to follow the example of Jesus and go to God. Instead of stewing start doing. We can accomplish great things when we rely on God’s strength and power.
Jesus not only does the work but involves the disciples in it. Jesus had performed many miracles without the help of the disciples. Jesus made the lame to walk, the mute to speak, the blind to see and the deaf to hear. Jesus did not need the disciples help but included them to teach them an important lesson on perspective. Jesus personally helps to change their perspective
The disciples gain a new perspective. They can see the work of God happening before their eyes. Not only do they witness the miracle, they are an active part of it. The disciples are given the task of collecting the leftovers. I would have loved to see the looks on their faces when they finished collecting the leftovers. It may not be a coincidence that there were twelve baskets of leftovers. Jesus changed the way that they viewed Him and the way they saw the power of God.
Conclusion
The perspective of Jesus was centered on God and focused on other people.
1.) Physical
Jesus saw and met the physical needs of people. Jesus healed the sick and fed the hungry. He focused His efforts with people. We have been called to do the same. Jesus saw the needs that were around Him and moved to meet those needs. Jesus showed an active compassion to a hurting people
2.) Emotional
Jesus met the emotional needs of people. Jesus brought comfort to those who were hurting and healed emotionally as well as physically. He reached out to hurting people and we are to do the same.
3.) Spiritual
Jesus gave people the opportunity to know God. He let them see for themselves the power that split the Red Sea moving in their presence. He allowed them to know the presence that was in the temple among the outcasts. We are called to go and help those who are spiritually hurting. We are called to reach out with hope for a hurting world
Jesus instructed the disciples on how to follow Him and then demonstrated the power of God in their midst. He showed them the reality and the results of faith. Jesus gave direction and expected them to follow. He showed them the power of God at work.
Jesus kept his ministry centered on God. He kept the emphasis on giving glory to God and moving people in the direction of knowing Him. Jesus did the work of God’s kingdom, God’s way. Many times we get focused on church work that we lose the understanding that what we do; we do for the glory of God. When we do God’s work, God’s way we get God’s results and God gets the credit.
What is your perspective?
Do you want to have a winning perspective or are you just willing to get by?
Do you believe that god can do amazing things in your life and in the life of this church?
Do you believe that we can do great things for God?
