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.
We like to suppose we control of our lives, but if you’ve ever found yourself outdoors in a storm, you realize just how small and helpless we really are—completely at the mercy of a storm so much bigger and more powerful than anything we can handle. This story is also about a storm, but it’s a storm raging inside of a person.
This man in Mark 5 lived among the tombs, possessed by demons. We don’t know how and why he became possessed, but it was clear he was not himself, not in control. Jesus walked toward the man and casts out the demons.
The bad news is that we too suffer from the storms within—storms that are much bigger than we can handle on our own. The good news, is that Jesus moved towards this man and set him free. He also moves toward us. We will pass through storms, but God promises to be with us even in the storm. And because God is with us, we will not drown, not be consumed, and not be overwhelmed.
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.
