Matthew 13-14

"Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid" (14:27).  In this chapter, Matthew recounts how Jesus fed thousands with a few pieces of bread and fish, he calmed a storm, he empowered Peter to walk on water, yet John was killed in prison (14:10).  The kind of peace and freedom from fear promised by Jesus is not a simplistic, fairy-tale life.  Jesus and the early Christians endured suffering, rejection, and hardship; nonetheless, they were filled with joy and confidence.  

“He indeed bears fruit” (13:23).  When we invest our lives in Jesus, we can find peace in any circumstance, confident that in him “all things work together for good” (Rom 8:28).