Are You Ready to Forgive?

~~~ Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7A, 17-24A ~~~

~~~Psalm 33 ~~~ Matthew 10:1-7 ~~~

Joseph forgives his brothers for dumping him in the well..

leaving him to die...lying to their parents.

On the third day Joseph said to his brothers:

“Do this, and you shall live; for I am a God-fearing man.

Joseph recognized his brothers right away 

when they came for their portion of the grain.

Since he spoke to them through an interpreter, 

they did not know it was Joseph.

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Joseph grew into a man of God...a man with compassion in his heart...

a man ready to forgive past offenses.

Many times forgiving family members

 is the most difficult thing to practice.

Forgiving family members mean you must put aside

 your expectations for their behavior.

You must overlook their selfish ways, their rude comments,

their cruel actions toward you.

How was Joseph able to look upon his brothers

with compassion and not utter disgust?

But the plan of the LORD stands forever;

the design of his heart, through all generations.

Ultimately it was the plan of God.

Joseph was to save his family;

just as Jesus came to save his family us.

In so many ways we are not 

much different than those brothers.

They thought they were rid of Joseph for the rest of their life.

How often do you do the same?

How often do you walk away from God

 thinking you are rid of him?

Because God is loving, compassionate, and forgiving

does not mean that we may act however we wish.

Jesus sends out the twelve apostles to find us.

We are the lost sheep.

We are the ones who too often 

put ourselves into the well

without realizing what we are doing.

Yes, you read that correctly...

we put ourselves into the well when we turn our back on God.

Jacob was rescued from the well because he was

 to be the one to save his family from starvation.

You are a part of God's plan.

It does not matter how many obstacles you erect...

or how detours you take.

It is by God's grace that his plan takes form.

The Blessings you receive today

are a part of God's plan tomorrow.

~~~Peace~~~

The Infinity Pool

~~~ Daniel 9:4B-10 ~~~ Psalm 79 ~~~ Luke 6:36-38 ~~~

But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness!

Day after day, Lord, we are sinners.

We do not listen as we should, Lord.

We do not follow your commands, Lord, as we should.

We judge others...we are quick to condemn.

We are slow to forgive...reluctant to love our enemies...

Yet, Lord, we beg for your kindness.

Look upon us with eyes of love.

...may your compassion quickly come to us,

We are a bit liked spoiled children...creating mischief,

 disobeying, expecting to have everything our way...and yes, 

believing that God will love us just the same.

While it is true God does love us in spite of how we misbehave,

He does have his limits.

He gives us the invitation to repent and turn away 

from our sinful ways.

How long do you think he should wait for you?

A month, a year, five years, ten years, fifty years, 

until you are on your deathbed?

How long will you keep him waiting?

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Stop judging...stop condemning...forgive...

give and gifts will be given to you.

All leads back to the single commandment...

Love you neighbor as yourself...

treat others as you would want them to treat you.

Is that really such a hard concept to grasp?

God's ways are compassion and forgiveness.

God replaces condemnation with compassion.

God replaces hatred with forgiveness.

Without His love would we know true compassion?

Without His mercy would we know true forgiveness?

Whatever mercy and compassion we think we have

 there is always more to be given to us.

We need to look deep within our hearts and see the infinity pool.

Infinity edge pools are often seen at exotic resorts or exclusive estates.

God is the perfect infinity pool of love and mercy.

There are no limits...no boundaries.

God wants to be seamless, exclusive in our hearts...

no artificial boundaries to contain Him.

Lent is about striving to be the better person 

God knows you can become.

He sends his Blessings to help us along the way.

Make sure you are paying attention.

~~~ Peace ~~~

Practicing Compassion

~~~ 1 Corinthians 8:1B-7, 11-13 ~~~ Psalm 139 ~~~ Luke 6:27-38 ~~~

There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now
that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols,
their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.

Today we remember those who lost there lives thirteen years ago
 in the World Trade center attack.
The individuals involved lost their way and chose
 to travel down the path of darkness.

They unplugged their conscience.
They gave up their desire to live in this world.
They lost all respect for life, their own and the life of others.
It truly was a sad day for the whole world.
God Bless all who came to the aid of so many people that day.

I pray that compassion will prevail in our hearts today.

Eventually you can desensitize yourself
if you do something enough times.
This is the danger in exposing yourself
to a continuous stream of violence.
You become so accustomed to watching violence
 being acted out you become numb to such crimes.

Thirteen years ago we could not leave our television sets...
we could not believe what our eyes were telling us.
We cried tears until our eyes were red and swollen.

The more we sin the less uncomfortable or guilty we feel.
If you miss Mass the first few times it feels wrong,
but if you miss Mass enough times it will no longer bother you.
Most people who are caught shop lifting admit
 that it was not their first offense.

If we let sin gradually take root in our soul
we will not even notice when it has taken control.
We must examine our conscience often
 just to make sure we are not becoming numb to the world
around us...just to make sure we are not letting
sin get the better part of our soul.

We are born with a pure heart.
We learn through trial and error as
 to how far we can push the envelope.
Young children are masters at seeing just how far they can go...
to see what they can get away with.
Usually the parents will intervene setting the limits. 

Now that we are adults we must set our own limits...
limits bounded by love and compassion.

~~9/11/ 2001~~
Love and Compassion rose above this horrible situation
 to prevail in the hearts of thousands.

May God Bless us with a conscience formed
by love and compassion.

God did bless many people on that
 terrible day in our country.

Peace be with you.

Eucharist...the Great Gift

~~~ Holy Thursday ~~~

~~Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14~~Psalm 116~~1 Corinthians 11:23-26~~John 13:1-15~~

For the next three days we remember...

we reenact...we celebrate...we pray...we mourn...we rejoice.

Jesus begins his passion journey by emptying himself 

at the feet of his chosen followers.

He washes the feet of his twelve apostles 

including the one who would betray him 

and the one who would deny him.

 “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

The Apostles like us did not fully grasp what Jesus had done for them.

He was not just talking about washing their feet.

He was speaking of all he had done each day.

How he had reached out to others.

I am reminded of the lyrics of a beautiful Taize music.

"Lord God you love us, source of compassion."

Jesus took the opportunity to extend compassion to everyone he met.

His compassion was made evident in his kindness, his acts of healing,

his mercy and forgiveness.

Many of his parables were also scented with his great compassion.

Jesus left us his body and blood as a personal act of compassion for all ages.

Compassion...a feeling to want to help someone who is suffering.

Jesus was leaving, his time on earth was ending.

He did not want to leave us alone and lost.

He left us the greatest gift, the gift of himself....

the Most Holy Eucharist.

A compassionate person wants to alleviate pain and suffering.

Receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus

 is our source of comfort

given to us by Jesus personally.

Do you realize what I have done for you?

Compassion focuses on relieving pain and suffering.

Jesus left this model of compassion 

for us in hopes that we too 

will find this practice of compassion valuable.

Jesus extends his compassion 

for us every time we come forward 

to receive his Body and Blood...in Holy Communion.

Blessed through the gift of the Eucharist.

In deep gratitude for his presence.

Peace.

Who is the Good Samaritan?

~ Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~

 

~~Deuteronomy 30:10-14~~Psalm 69 or 19~~Colossians 1:15-20~~Luke 10:25-37~~

 

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

 

The 'words' God gave to Moses we know as the Ten Commandments.

Ten rules to guide you in the way of God.

 

Moses himself describes the law of the Lord...

For this command that I enjoin on you today
is not too mysterious and remote for you.

It is normal for us to see that God does have laws.

If we look at nature we see many examples of the these laws.

The laws of God make sense.

Already within our hearts is a sense of a higher power.

A higher power that deserves our love, honor and praise.

Moses also says to the people referring to the laws...

 '...it is something very near to you,
already in your mouths and in your hearts;
you have only to carry it out.'

 

If what you have in your hearts is not supported by your actions

 then you are not being true to your heart.

 

In the Gospel today Jesus is questioned by a scholar of the law.

This scholar is asking if the old law are still to be obeyed.

Jesus never had the intention of abolishing

the laws given to Moses.

As a scholar of the law this person knew

the laws given to Moses.

 

Loving God with your whole heart, being, strength, and mind...

this is not mysterious...

this is already in your hearts.

Just as Moses was preaching.

It is the next part that causes us the greatest difficulties.

 

'...and your neighbor as yourself.”

 

This causes us problems because we are left to determine

who our neighbors are.

Most of the time we chose the easy most comfortable

 definition of our neighbors.

Our neighbors...

who are they?

The family next door, our friends,

 the people in our book club or bible study,

those who go to the same church;

these people are our neighbors.

But are these our only neighbors?

Jesus goes on with the example of the Good Samaritan.

Here we see the definition of neighbor greatly expanded.

 

It seems that our definition of neighbor is very controlled;

we set our own boundaries.

We want to be comfortable with our neighbors.

 

The definition of neighbor that Jesus presents is far from ours.

The Good Samaritan goes above and beyond what most of us would

consider doing for a friend much less a neighbor.

 

The Good Samaritan is an example for all of us to reach toward.

 

We are challenged to view our neighbor with compassion.

We are challenged to go out of our comfort zone to help our neighbor.

 

To me the person that comes closest to the Good Samaritan

would be Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

She enlarged her circle to include all kinds of people as her neighbors.

She said...

"Intense love does not measure, it just gives."
 

It seems that loving our neighbor as ourselves requires us to consistently

reevaluate if someone meets the guideline to be our neighbor.

Loving our neighbor as ourselves is not something carved in stone

rather it is in the folds of our heart.

Seeing Others as They Ought to Be

 

~~~ Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7a, 17-24a ~~~ Psalm 33 ~~~ Matthew 10:1-7 ~~~

 

'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

 

Surely the kingdom of heaven was evident through the hands of Jesus.

Each miracle of healing...every word of mercy and compassion

 he was bringing the kingdom of heaven to Earth.

 

We pray in the Our Father...

thy kingdom come...as it is in heaven...

 

Can we deliver a piece of the kingdom of heaven today?

I believe this is exactly what we are called to do.

 

In the first reading today we have the familiar story of Joseph.

His brothers opted to sell into slavery instead of killing him out of their jealousy.

 

We find the tables have turned and the brothers are in need of their brother's help.

They are in danger of starving and it Joseph who can make the difference.

 

Joseph finds in his heart the goodness

to bring a piece of the kingdom of heaven

down to his corner of the world.

Joseph was in a position of power. He could have exercised revenge on his brothers.

He could have given them what they rightfully deserved life in prison,

but Joseph found goodness in his heart.

 

The Kingdom of Heaven is always about finding goodness.

The Kingdom of Heaven is pure love.

The Kingdom of Heaven is following the will of the Father.

 

 

Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph
and do whatever he told them.

 

I found some curious parallels in this story between Joseph and Jesus.

 

At the wedding of Cana

 Mary tells the servants 'to do whatever he tells you'

referring to Jesus.

Here we have Pharaoh telling the Egyptians to do whatever Joseph tells them.

 

Joseph shares some of the same Jesus qualities.

 

It is Joseph who opened up the grain reserves for 'the whole world'.

It is Joseph who feeds the thousands...including his own brothers.

The very brothers who were willing to end his life.

 

Joseph conceals his identity from his brothers and locks them up for three days.

For three days they were confined to a prison cell.

Jesus was raised form the dead after three days.

The brothers have time to reflect on their guilt for the crimes against Joseph.

 

to be continued...

 

"God has to have two pictures of us:

one is what we are and the other is what we ought to be."

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

The World's First Love

 

By the grace of God, Joseph is able to see what his brothers

ought to be while they stand before him as they are.

 

Lord, let your mercy be on us...

 

The blessings today come through our ability

 to see others as they ought to be;

this is one way we can bring the Kingdom of Heaven to others.

Compassionate God

~~~ Isaiah 25:6-10a ~~~ Psalm 23 ~~~ Matthew 15:29-37 ~~~

 

The Lord is my shepherd...psalm 23

one of the most well known

and often quoted scripture verses.

Not because we know much about sheep and shepherds,

but because we find comfort in trusting that God will take care of us.

None of have had the experience of tending for a herd of sheep, but

we believe that the shepherd only wants what is good for his sheep.

It is an analogy that gives us comfort when we consider

our relationship with God.

A shepherd watches over his flock night and day.

He does not allow the dangers of darkness access to his sheep.

When we contemplate God as our shepherd we somehow know

 that even in our darkness he is there watching over us.

 

God will provide for all of our needs.

We must keep admit that our 'needs' may not always be what we think.

We have the human tendency to be selfish.

Often our 'needs' are nothing more than 'wants'.

 

 

~~ Compassionate God ~~

 

Great crowds followed Jesus.

They were attracted to him for many reasons;

one being his compassion for others.

You cannot be selfish and compassionate at the same time.

 

The last few weeks I have been listening to a series on compassion and our brain.

It was produced by Sounds True titled The Compassionate Brain.

I invite you to check it out on their site.

 

The latest research confirms the positive effect compassion has on our brain.

When we step away from ourselves and think of others

we are actually improving our mental and spiritual welbeing.

 

Jesus exhibits his compassion through most of his miracles and

interactions with those around them.

"...Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others.
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them."

 

Up on the mountain the sick and the lame were carried to him for healing.

He could have just extended his compassion in healing to those before him,

but he went a step farther.

 

Jeus was also concerned about all of the people present...

even those who dod not come to be healed.

Jesus was sensitive to their real physical hunger.

 

Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
"My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way."

 

 

Climbing up the hill in the heat to see and hear Jesus

was exhausing, especially if you are now also very hungry.

 

Coming to Jesus may require sacrifice, but not starvation.

Jesus healed the lame and he nourished all those present.

 

Today food trucks would have swarmed to the area

hoping to sell a few thousand tacos.

Hoping to make their monthly quota in a couple hours.

 

There were no such luxuries during the time of Jesus.

He took it upon himself to provide for the needs of the crowd

because of his compassion for others.

 

Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,
gave thanks, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over--seven baskets full.

 

Jesus used what was gathered from the people...

through his blessing the meager amount of food

was more than enough to feed the large crowd.

 

Jesus took the time to be mindful of his surroundings.

He was aware of more then just those who had come for healing.

We miss the fact that God is always aware of our needs.

He is the Good Shepherd who cares for his flock day and night.

He is the Good Sheperd who protects his little sheep

from the attack of the wolf.

 

I invite you to find ways during the Advent time to reach out

to those around you who are less fortunate.

Now is the time to put aside selfishness.

Now is the time to put compassion into practice.

You may even need to begin with compassion for yourself...

this is not being selfish, by the way.

All that Jesus gave he already had within...

given to him from the Father.

We have a Compassionate God

who loves us.

Live in Gratitude

~~~ Philippians 4:10-19 ~~~ Psalm 112 ~~~ Luke 16:9-15 ~~~

 

We should never under estimate the importance of gratitude.

Today Paul is expressing his heart felt gratitude to the Philippians.

Even when it seemed that they had forgotten his plight

he was grateful for their past support.

 

"...I rejoice greatly in the Lord
that now at last you revived your concern for me..."

 

Paul is able to see benefits and blessings no matter what his conditions.

If things are going well he is grateful.

If things are less than perfect he finds reason to be grateful.

 

 

 

"...My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

 

Paul reminds us that when we are generous with our possessions,

giving to the less fortunate, God will reward us.

The word of caution here is avoiding the temptation

to give simply in response to what you will gain in return.

 

Unselfish giving is the ideal goal...

giving out of love and compassion is the benchmark.

The Philippians certainly loved Paul and wanted

him to continue spreading the good news.

 

If your basic needs are supplied then you can focus

on the higher things in life.

Paul proves himself to be trustworthy in handling what he was given.

 

Jesus is addressing the Pharisees, who love their money.

They love the perceived status symbol from acquiring wealth.

Jesus is saying just because you may have some wealth

does not mean your spiritual state is comparable. 

"...No servant can serve two masters...."

 

Is is possible to concentrate all of your attention on creating wealth

and still maintain a profound relationship with God?

Jesus seems to be saying it is unlikely you can do both simultaneously.

"...You cannot serve God and mammon."

 

I believe the challenge is to keep yourself in balance.

Balance between wealth and God.

One does not have to be exclusive of the other.

We all have seem many examples of wealthy individuals

reaching out in compassion to those who are less fortunate.

"You justify yourselves in the sight of others,
but God knows your hearts..."

 

In all circumstances we should find reasons to be grateful.

Whether we are among the wealthy or not we have many reasons to be grateful,

if we but look for them.

As we approach our annual day of thanksgiving; begin

making a list today of reasons to live in gratitude.

Paul, himself serves as a model for how this can be done.

He words reveal where to begin,

"...I have the strength for everything

through him who empowers me."

 

Live in Gratitude and Be Blessed.

Children of Light

 

~~~ Ephesians 4:32-5:8 ~~~ Psalm 1~~~ Luke 13:10-17 ~~~

 

"...Live as children of light."

 

This is probably one of the most beautiful verses in Luke.

To be alive is to be growing to be nourished to have energy.

Children are innocent, loving, active bundles of energy.

When God said let there be light it was magnificent.

 

Living as children of light gives me this image

of children laughing, running, and playing

outside in the warm sunshine.

 

It would be wonderful to be carefree enjoying life and all good things.

But then that is the picture of a perfect world...

but we know we do not live in a perfect world.

 

There are many children around the world who do not run

and play freely in the sunshine.

 

Without the benefit of light we would be living in a very different world.

We are urged by Paul to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving.

Three traits that are not always easy to put into practice.

 

 

Jesus brought us out of the darkness.

Jesus showed us how to live in the light through

loving compassionately.

 

Jesus took notice of the crippled bent over woman

and reached out to her.

He offered her healing even though it was the Sabbath.

Jesus was quickly criticized for his compassion

because it was the day of rest.

 

If we are so bound by the rules and laws that we cannot

act with love and compassion

we are actually living in the dark.

We are living in the dark because we cannot see

what it means to love.

Without the benefit of light all things appear as darkness.

 

Jesus was preaching in the synagogue on the sabbath

 when he noticed the crippled woman

among the community.

Throughout his public ministry Jesus acts as a

compassionate human being.

 

I think it is worth noting here that Jesus reached out to this woman...

she had not come to ask for healing.

She had come to listen to his teaching.

For her maybe hearing him speak was enough to satisfy her.

 

After being bent over for eighteen years

she had probably become accustomed to her situation.

 

The leader of the synagogue, who was in darkness,

 considered the curing

of the afflicted woman to be 'work'.

Jesus, on the other hand, saw the woman

who had been suffering for eighteen years

and knew he could help her so he did.

 

He laid his hands on her and she was cured.

Jesus gave this woman so much more than she anticipated...

he does the same for us.

 

Has there been a time in your life when God has done more

for you than you had requested?

 

Give thanks that we are his...

that we are children of the Light,

because God is the source of all Light.

Prosper the Work of Our Hands

Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul

 

~~~ Ecclesiastes 1: 2-11 ~~~ Psalm 90 ~~~ Luke 9:7-9 ~~~

Vincent de Paul is best known for his ministry to the poor.

He traveled to the countryside giving missions to the poor, that is the slaves.

Vincent himself had been subjected to the bonds of slavery at one time himself.

 

Today many parishes serve the needy through their St. Vincent de Paul Society.

He was renowned for his compassion, humility, and generosity.

 

"...What has been, that will be;
what has been done, that will be done.
Nothing is new under the sun."

 

Nothing is new under the sun...we still have those less fortunate among us today.

The poor have been and always will be a part of our society.

Vincent left his example of care for the poor.

He did not view them as less.

He did not view them as mere objects to be tossed aside and ignored.

Instead he reached out to them, he recognized that they were also

created in the image and likeness of God.

He understood that we are called to love the lowly.

 

The lowly are not to be forgotten hidden away from our eyes.

 

Psalm 90 makes it very clear that no matter who we are we will return to dust.

Rich or poor in the end does not matter.

God alone sees our true value.

 

Teach us Lord to number our days as we may grow in wisdom.

 

"...Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!"

 

We ask God to bless those who minister to the poor.

We ask God to provide abundance for those in need.

We ask God's guidance in helping us to give freely

without prejudice to those in need.

 

We thank God for giving us our daily bread.

We thank God for his providential care of the needy,

but also for our own care.

 

 

Sometimes those most in need of our compassion

do not fit our image of 'poor'.

 

We intercede today for those who are...

physically poor...

emotionally poor...

and spiritually poor.

We especially pray for the forgotten ones who have no one

ministering to their needs.

 

Fill the hearts of the poor with joy and gladness

as we minister to them.

Allow them to see Christ through those who serve them.

 

"...Prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!"

 

St. Vincent de Paul, pray for us.

Only God Causes Growth

~~~ 1 Cor 3: 1-9 ~~~ Psalm 33 ~~~Luke 4: 38-44 ~~~

 

Paul is explaining to the Corinthians that he must talk

to them as physical beings.

He cannot speak to their spiritual personhood.

Paul and Jesus draw from the known physical world to give as examples.

They use those things with which the people are familiar.

Here he uses the analogy of plant life.

 

"Therefore, neither the one who plants

nor the one who waters is anything,
but only God, who causes the growth.
He who plants and he who waters are one...
...For we are God's co-workers..."

 

No matter if we are the person who plants the seed or

the one who waters what has previously been planted;

we cannot take the credit.

One without the other is nothing.

If we nurture and care for what has been planted in the hearts

of our family, neighbors, and friends

we are co-workers with God.

 

It is only through the grace of God that any growth takes place.

If seeds are left in the package they certainly cannot grow.

If seeds are planted and forgotten...not watered;

 they will soon die from the stressed conditions.

I witnessed in the last year how weakened the plants have become

due to the extended drought in our area.

 

In reflecting on our spiritual growth

if we have no seeds to plant there is no need to water.

But more importantly what will God be able to grow?

We do not need to wait for someone else to bring the seeds to us.

There is no need to wait for someone else to plant the seeds for us.

We do have the resources to gather our own seeds.

We do have the resources to water our own seeds.

 

The question here is, do we take the initiative?

It is important that we take the responsibility

because then we will be open to the available seeds.

If we take the action we will be paying attention to our spiritual needs.

 

It is not necessary that you know what seeds you are going to plant.

When you are sitting in a restaurant looking over the menu

you know you will be eating something.

 

Many times I have witnessed seeds available for the taking

during retreats, days of reflection, and parish missions.

There are also seeds hidden inside of scripture verses

and well written books.

 

Who knows there may even be seeds right here on this blog.

 

We can make the choice to ignore these seeds.

We can make the choice to accept the seeds and plant them into our heart.

We can chose to plant the seeds and let them rot.

We can plant the seeds and water them.

We can water these seeds through deeper study, time in silence,

prayer and discussions with others.

 

Jesus became human, but he was also filled with the seeds

from his heavenly Father.

He prayed, taught, healed and scattered his seeds of love

everywhere he walked.

He scattered his seeds of mercy to each person he healed.

 

 

When we are aware of how God is causing growth within us 

we should thank him and praise him.

For whatever God is causing to grow in our hearts

we can then

pass on to others.

"...From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind."

Thus we become partners with him

scattering his seeds of love, care, compassion, and mercy.

"...I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,
because for this purpose I have been sent."

Lord, show me how to gather your seeds today.

Surprise me with where you have planted your seeds.

Jesus, is Real

~~~ Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13 ~~~ Psalm 115 ~~~ Matthew 9: 32-38 ~~~

"...Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd..."

When the Olympic games are hosted in the US the official torch is lit and carried by runners throughout the country. The event is publicized and crowds of people come out to witness this moving event. There are interviews from those selected to carry the torch. The media devote prime time coverage of the event. For some reason this run creates a sense of pride and a sense of wel-being for our country.

Jesus was not carrying a special lit torch, but he too was moving through towns and villages. He was teaching in the synagogues not giving interviews.

He was reaching out to those who came to watch and listen.

There were no reporters making announcements about his arrival time

or the route he would take. Yet people found him and they told others

to come and see what this man called Jesus could do.

When the torch runner passes by the crowds along the street he or she

most likely feels honored to have been asked to carry this 

symbol of the international games.

When Jesus passed by and saw the crowds he was looking at more

than just their faces. He was looking at their hearts too.

As he was going about his father's business of healing

his heart was moved with pity.

Pity...a sympathetic sorrow for one suffering, distressed, or unhappy.

Jesus was expressing his feelings of sympathy for these poor people.

His capacity for empathy was far beyond what we could ever hope to attain. 

Jesus could see the many who felt abandoned by others.

He could see those who had troubled hearts and minds.

Jesus realized that as only one person it was physically impossible for him

to get to all those who needed his healing touch.

Perhaps he was even a tad frustrated by his physical limitations.

On some occasions his compassion reached out beyond

those in his immediate presence.

Thinking of Jesus as an example of the highest human compassion

gives us something to emulate...to strive toward.

Jesus was a real human person not an idol created out of cold lifeless metal.

He was quite the opposite of the idol images that...

"...They have mouths but speak not;
they have eyes but see not;
They have ears but hear not;
they have noses but smell not.
They have hands but feel not;
they have feet but walk not.
Their makers shall be like them,
everyone that trusts in them..."

Jesus was comparing himself by his words, deeds, and pity to their lifeless idols.

The false idols they had built would never be able to do

what he could do for the them.

He was the real thing!

Jesus could speak, see, hear, smell, feel, and walk.

Jesus could love from the depths of his being.

It was his love for others that drew people to follow him.

It was his compassion for the troubled that drew people to crowd along

 the streets to wait for him.

He was flesh and blood...he could reach out and touch a soul in need.

Hold on to these stories of Jesus reaching out to those in need of his healing touch.

It is just these stories that will keep your faith alive.

Jesus is the real thing..there is no other like him!