File

File

Minister’s Message: The miracle of compassion

Jesus’ compassion convicts me in two ways.

There are very few stories that all four Gospel accounts tell, but the “Feeding of the 5,000” is one of them. I think because it so beautifully represents the vision God has for His kingdom come on earth as in heaven: Where the sick are cured and the hungry are fed. Where even one person’s meager offerings make an abundant difference for many people. Where no one needs to be anxious about there being enough for everyone. Where all leave satisfied and even the scraps are enough to care for the needs of tomorrow.

It’s a bona fide miracle by any standard and a poignant picture of what our world can look like when we gather around Jesus and his table.

But before it’s a food miracle, the story, at least as Matthew 14 tells it, is a compassion miracle. See, Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, has just been beheaded by the ruler Herod. When Jesus receives the news, he retreats into a deserted place to commune with God. He goes there alone, presumably because he wants to be alone, but alone is not what awaits him. The crowds see what he’s up to and rush to join him.

As an introvert, these crowds get right under my skin. Stepping all over Jesus’ boundaries. Invading his quiet time. What, they know where he’s going, but can’t see that he might want to go there alone? Give me a break. The audacity of these people!

That’s my reaction when I read this story. But it’s not Jesus’.

Jesus sees them and instead of turning away from them, he turns toward them with compassion. I reckon Jesus realizes that just as he went out into this deserted place to commune with God, so did these crowds, whether they knew it or not. And so Jesus spends time ministering to them, healing their ailments, even though it’s likely not what he had on the schedule for that day.

A few hours later, when Jesus is decidedly more tired than when he first arrived and the disciples give him an opportunity to dismiss the crowds so they all might go find something to eat, even then he extends compassion. Jesus won’t take the chance that people might not find food at this hour, not when there is plenty to share. A second instance of his miraculous compassion.

Jesus’ compassion convicts me in two ways. The first is when I accept that he looks upon me with the same compassion. I’m not very good at receiving his compassion sometimes, but when I do, it has the power to transform me. The second is when I set aside my own aforementioned annoyance and start to see others with the same compassion as Jesus. When I do, it no doubt has the power to transform the world around me. I don’t know about you, but I think a world full of such miracles makes for a beautiful place to live; heaven come to earth.

Joshua Gorenflo and his wife, Kya, are ministers at Kenai Fellowship, Mile 8.5 on the Kenai Spur Highway. Worship is 11 a.m. on Sundays. Streamed live at kenaifellowship.com.

More in Life

tease
Baking family history

This recipe is labeled “banana fudge,” but the result is more like fudgy banana brownies

tease
Off the Shelf: Nutcracker novel sets a darker stage

“The Kingdom of Sweets” is available at the Homer Public Library

Nick Varney
Unhinged Alaska: The little tree that could

Each year I receive emails requesting a repeat of a piece I wrote years ago about being away from home on Christmas.

The mouth of Indian Creek in the spring, when the water is shallow and clear. By summertime, it runs faster and is more turbid. The hand and trekking pole at lower left belong to Jim Taylor, who provided this photograph.
The 2 most deadly years — Part 6

The two most deadly years for people on or near Tustumena Lake were 1965 and 1975

Luminaria light the path of the Third Annual StarLight StarBright winter solstice skiing fundraiser at the Kenai Golf Course in Kenai, Alaska, on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Winter solstice skiing fundraiser delayed until January

StarLight StarBright raises funds for the Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society

File
Minister’s Message: The opportunity to trust

It was a Friday night when I received a disturbing text from… Continue reading

tease
Peanut butter balls for Ms. Autumn

This holiday treat is made in honor of the Soldotna El secretary who brings festive joy

Map courtesy of Kerri Copper
This map of Tustumena Lake was created in 1975 by John Dolph as he planned an Alaska adventure — and delayed honeymoon — for himself and his wife, Kerri. On the upper end of the lake, Dolph had penciled in two prospective camping sites.
The 2 most deadly years — Part 5

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The two most deadly years for people on or near… Continue reading

Marathon Petroleum Kenai Refinery General Manager Bruce Jackman presents a novelty check for $50,000 to the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank at the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Marathon donates $50,000 to Kenai Peninsula Food Bank

Funds were raised during fishing fundraiser held this summer

Most Read