Wealthy people, poor people, kids, adults, progressives, conservatives… we all get hungry. Using their stomachs as a common denominator, Jesus was teaching them that their needs united them in solidarity with every other person.
And if we can see that what another person needs is the same thing that we need, it has the power to awaken our compassion for that person. Recognizing our common humanity can break down the walls that divide us so that when we see someone else in need, we want to help them just as we’d want them to help us.
By feeding thousands of people, Jesus is showing us in this story that his kingdom is not a place of scarcity, but a place of abundance. Not a place of fear, but a place of generosity. A place where there is sufficient food and drink and where the needs of the whole person are satisfied.
Meeting the needs of our neighbors is one of the most important characteristics of being a follower of Jesus. He doesn’t just give us what we need, he gives us more, so that we can give it to others. Not only are all needs met, it also reminds us that we are recipients of grace. Everything we have from God is a gift rather than something we’re entitled to or that we’ve earned.
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Wealthy people, poor people, kids, adults, progressives, conservatives… we all get hungry. Using their stomachs as a common denominator, Jesus was teaching them that their needs united them in solidarity with every other person.
And if we can see that what another person needs is the same thing that we need, it has the power to awaken our compassion for that person. Recognizing our common humanity can break down the walls that divide us so that when we see someone else in need, we want to help them just as we’d want them to help us.
By feeding thousands of people, Jesus is showing us in this story that his kingdom is not a place of scarcity, but a place of abundance. Not a place of fear, but a place of generosity. A place where there is sufficient food and drink and where the needs of the whole person are satisfied.
Meeting the needs of our neighbors is one of the most important characteristics of being a follower of Jesus. He doesn’t just give us what we need, he gives us more, so that we can give it to others. Not only are all needs met, it also reminds us that we are recipients of grace. Everything we have from God is a gift rather than something we’re entitled to or that we’ve earned.
Revelation 7 gives us a glimpse of what worship could look like when we get to heaven. Here, the church isn’t plagued by debates over different worship styles and practice or what’s the “right way” to worship. The image presented is one of both diversity and unity.
It’s not just people from a few nations, or just those who speak Greek and Hebrew, it’s representatives from every nation, every tribe, every people group, and every language, which also signals to the early church that their efforts to spread the Gospel are not in vain.
When we hear the word “worship”, we often think of music or singing, but worship is so much more than that. Yes, we worship when we sing praises to God, but we also worship in all the ways we live our lives for the glory of God. Worship that is good and true and beautiful reflects the heart and character of God and draws us in to form us and shape us and send us back out as we more closely resemble the character of Christ. Worship is both a personal and a communal response to who God is and what God has done for us.
Haverhill Commons Church
Wealthy people, poor people, kids, adults, progressives, conservatives… we all get hungry. Using their stomachs as a common denominator, Jesus was teaching them that their needs united them in solidarity with every other person.
And if we can see that what another person needs is the same thing that we need, it has the power to awaken our compassion for that person. Recognizing our common humanity can break down the walls that divide us so that when we see someone else in need, we want to help them just as we’d want them to help us.
By feeding thousands of people, Jesus is showing us in this story that his kingdom is not a place of scarcity, but a place of abundance. Not a place of fear, but a place of generosity. A place where there is sufficient food and drink and where the needs of the whole person are satisfied.
Meeting the needs of our neighbors is one of the most important characteristics of being a follower of Jesus. He doesn’t just give us what we need, he gives us more, so that we can give it to others. Not only are all needs met, it also reminds us that we are recipients of grace. Everything we have from God is a gift rather than something we’re entitled to or that we’ve earned.
