The Spiritual Waiting Room
Humanity
Grief Compassion
Heal Bless Feed
Bring Them To Me
Divinity
(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)
Scripture: Matthew 14: 13 and 14
When Jesus heard about the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew by boat and went to a deserted place to be alone.
The people realized that Jesus had done this and went to find Him.
When Jesus got out of the boat, He saw the vast crowd that had come.
His heart was moved with pity for them and He healed the sick they had brought.
Reflection
Do you relate to Jesus more in His humanity or in His divinity?
We know from our teaching that Jesus is one person in two natures, human and divine. As we pray to Jesus and relate to Him, we can sometimes feel a bit closer to His human nature; and, at other times, seek the power that He manifested in His divine nature.
Our scripture from Matthew features both.
I wonder how Jesus felt when He got the news of the death of His cousin, John the Baptist? Especially hearing about how he died---beheaded by Herod to fulfill a promise to his daughter because of how she danced!
John had prepared the way for Jesus and had reluctantly baptized Jesus (even though John thought it should have been reversed with Jesus baptizing him). They had a special bond. It must have been devastating for Jesus.
In His humanity He might have been thinking, "If they did that to John, will I be next?" In His time of grief, He wanted to be alone.
His mourning was cut short. The crowd sought Him out and brought the sick with them.
It is in this moment, when a grieving Jesus was looking at the crowd, that His humanity shines forth. He looks upon the people with compassion. They have touched His heart.
We go quickly from His humanity to His divinity.
He heals the sick whom they have brought to Him.
He blesses five loaves of bread and two fish.
With that meager amount of food, He feeds five thousand men and many women and children.
There are twelve baskets of food left over and collected.
Jesus asks the apostles to bring the five loaves of bread and two fish to Him. What He is really asking, however, is to bring the people to Him.
He loves them.
He wants to heal and to feed them.
His humanity displayed through His compassion. His divinity shown forth in His miracles.
How BLESSED are we to have such a savior, such a friend, such a prophet, such a Lover!
Human.
Divine.
Love Supreme!
1. Do you relate to Jesus more in His human nature or in His divine nature?
2. How do you think Jesus felt when He got the news that His cousin John was beheaded?
3. Jesus put His grief aside to heal the sick and feed the hungry. What does this tell us about the type of person Jesus is?
4. Why does Jesus feed the crowd instead of dismissing them?
5. What do you feel as you contemplate Kathy's photo?
(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John McNamara)
