May 3, 2022: Day 94 – Isaiah 48-51 and Matthew 14-15

From focusing on Babylon the prophet now speaks to Israel about Israel and her need to return to the Lord and abandon her stubborness.  It is definitely a message that could be directly to each one of us as we look to our own individualism to save us from whatever situation we might find ourselves.  We then find another couple of chapters, 49 and 50 that address the servant of the Lord and what the servant will look like.  If you look at 50:6 and following you see the servant described as: “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.”  We see this description clearly as what Jesus suffered.

In Matthew we find another explanation by Jesus of a parable, which again is unusual.  This time he explains it begrudgingly calling his disciples “dull”.  That is in chapter 15, but in 14 we see Jesus feed the five thousand, to be followed the next chapter by the feeding of the 4,000, now wonder people wanted to be around him, free lunch!  Jesus walks on water and Peter’s faith and then doubt is revealed.