Tuesday, January 8, 2013

The Compassionate Heart of our God

“His heart was moved with pity” (Mk 6:34) as Jesus looked upon a crowd of 5000+ people.
These people lived in a country occupied by a foreign power. They were oppressed, heavily taxed by the Romans. Their future looked bleak.  Women, in particular were treated poorly, discounted, controlled by male counterparts, a situation that continues in many parts of the world, and in all segments of society, to this very day. 


Jesus looks upon these persons with pity, concerned that they are like sheep without a shepherd (Mk 6:34), that it is getting late and they are hungry. He meets both their physical and spiritual needs.  Following  His teaching and guiding them spiritually, he takes the little they have in terms of food and meets their physical needs.  He does not allow them to go home hungry either spiritually or physically.   He teaches us that “Human beings live not on bread alone”  (Mt 4:4). He pays attention to the whole person. 

Jesus treats you and me the same way. He knows that we lack food spiritually; He knows our physical needs as well.  He takes the little we have to meet those needs. He expects the same of us in how we treat ourselves and others. The little we have, blessed by the Lord, is more than enough.

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