Jesus is amazingly simple in His life. His cousin needed assurance that He was the real deal.
Jesus hits the nail on the head. People are getting healed, the Kingdom is being preached, lives are changed. Check that news and chill out.
Yet when He heard the news that His cousin was killed callously, He retreats in a bid to get some privacy.
In His position I can understand how a crowd would not be what you want to deal with. Yet here is the King with those He came to rescue. Moved with compassion He meets the need. If the need is healing, He heals; if the need is for food to feed hungry souls He feeds physically and spiritually.
Later when the disciples are buffeted by stormy weather, Jesus shows up on the scene, amazingly walking on the lake to be present with His friends – His family. In stormy weather, His presence makes all the difference.
This is Kingdom reality in action. There’s a need, there’s an opportunity to show God’s love. Abundant, restorative almighty presence giving glimpses of what the fully inaugurated Kingdom of Heaven will be like.
It’s inspiring and humbling seeing how simple and with what spiritual power needs could be met.
In my formative years church was about meetings full of noise, preaching, testimonies, singing of a great God doing great things … in the Bible. As far as interacting with the outside world with this good news it was usually about handing out pamphlets to people occasionally telling them how they needed the truth and how we were the only ones who had it.
It took the best part of 23 years to realise that preaching the good news counts for little unless we are moved by the same compassion that moved our King to meet the needs He saw. There are needs so prevalent and pressing it is actually quite something to ignore them.
People suffer broken hearts and depressed spirits. Communities crushed by economic and social overhauls. Young people without aspirations. Old people lonely and embittered due to families that neglect them.
The needs are there. Hungry to be fed. Hurting to be healed. Jesus wasn’t just about talking Kingdom, this eternal rule was present there and then.
Kingdom reality is still needed now as ever before.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 