Our Savior Lutheran Church
  • Home
  • Watch
    • Watch On Demand
    • Watch Live
  • Connect
    • Life Groups
    • Bible Studies
    • Care
    • Become a Member >
      • Baptism
  • Serve
    • In Our Church
    • In Our Community
    • In Our World
  • Grow
    • Adults >
      • Daily Devotions
      • Life Groups
      • Bible Studies
      • Men
      • Women
    • Youth >
      • Middle School
      • High School
    • Kids >
      • Faith Milestones
  • Preschool
  • Resources
    • Events
    • Calendar
    • Right Now Media
    • Church Center App
    • Telling the Story
    • Links & Files
    • OSLC Blog
    • Sermon Series
  • Give

OSLC Blog

Jesus is More

9/24/2020

 
This week, I find myself tired, sad, and exhausted.

Maybe you are, too.

I’m tired of a divided world. I’m saddened how easily humanity dehumanizes each other. I’m exhausted by the competition for a kind of human power that seeks to bend people to another’s will.
 
The great news is that Jesus is always more.

Jesus is more than our tiredness, sadness, and exhaustion. He’s more than division, dehumanization, and competition for human power. Jesus is more.

I’m continuing to read through the Gospels personally, and on Wednesday, I stepped into Matthew 14. The political power struggle is palatable. The world is divided. Herod dehumanizes John the Baptist to the point that he wants him dead. And then, Herod gives away John the Baptist’s head as a door prize at his birthday party.

Then, as the word spread about what happened, we find Jesus and his disciples tired, sad, and exhausted that they all withdrew (v. 13). The crowds of people who are unloved by their leaders, heartbroken and crushed by the broken world around them - they follow Jesus with everything they had: literally on their own two feet (v. 13). And, because Jesus is always more, Jesus continues to have compassion on the crowds of people who gather around him who are unloved by so many (v. 14).

What follows is a fascinating chain of events.

  • The disciples ask Jesus to make them all go away (v. 15). 
  • But, Jesus gives the disciples more work to do: “give them something to eat” (v. 16).
  • “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish” (v. 17).
  • “Bring them to me,” Jesus said (v. 18).
  • Then, Jesus takes, looks up to heaven, gives thanks, breaks bread, and gives it all away (v. 19).
  • Unloved people were loved in an unexpected way. “They all ate and were satisfied” (v. 19).
  • And then… Jesus had more…  twelve baskets full (v. 20).

With Jesus, there is always more.

Jesus’ love meets us in the middle of our divided world and heals us on His cross, with the proof being our promised empty grave. Why? So that God can use us to heal people divided by human power that seeks to bend people to another’s will.

Jesus’ compassion empathizes with our sadness and walks with us the extra mile. Why? So that God can use us to walk alongside each person, He places around us to be “good news,” not “fake news.”

Jesus’ grace interrupts our exhaustion and encourages us to keep going with His power. Why? So that God can use us to encourage us that His love is the only love that satisfies an unloved spirit.

For each of us, Jesus is always more. And, that's more than enough for today.

Love you more than you know.

    Author

    The OSLC ministry team is a growing collection of women and men who live as a family on mission, leading the OSLC family in connecting an unchanging God with a changing world by loving God, loving people, and living like Jesus.

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

OUR CHURCH

Service Times & Location
Mission & Values
Staff
Resources
Contact Us

GET INVOLVED

Connect
Serve
Grow
Give

OUR SCHOOLS

OSLC Preschool
Concordia Christian Academy (K-12)
© 2021  |  Our Savior Lutheran Church  |  4519 112th St E, Tacoma, WA 98446  |  253.531.2112
MAILING ADDRESS: 
11012 Canyon Rd E, Ste 8  PMB 397,  Puyallup, WA 98373
Office Hours: Mon-Thu 8:00-4:30 | Fri 8:00-4:00
Site powered by Weebly. Managed by Well Water Design

Privacy Policy

  • Home
  • Watch
    • Watch On Demand
    • Watch Live
  • Connect
    • Life Groups
    • Bible Studies
    • Care
    • Become a Member >
      • Baptism
  • Serve
    • In Our Church
    • In Our Community
    • In Our World
  • Grow
    • Adults >
      • Daily Devotions
      • Life Groups
      • Bible Studies
      • Men
      • Women
    • Youth >
      • Middle School
      • High School
    • Kids >
      • Faith Milestones
  • Preschool
  • Resources
    • Events
    • Calendar
    • Right Now Media
    • Church Center App
    • Telling the Story
    • Links & Files
    • OSLC Blog
    • Sermon Series
  • Give