Sermon: July 21, 2024

Readings: Ephesians 2:11-22 / Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Jesus looked at the people who had raced ahead of him, and he had compassion for them because they were like a flock without a shepherd.

The Greek word used to describe the compassion that Jesus felt is splagchnizomai. It describes a gut-wrenching, overpowering love and compassion that takes over your body. It drives you from where you are at mentally and emotionally and forces you to physically take action on behalf of another. It is the type of compassion that demonstrates absolute solidarity with the ones for whom you feel it. Jesus’ entire being ached with splagchnizomai as he looked upon God’s creation and was moved to demonstrate agape, God’s sacrificial love. A love that doesn’t create divisions or walls between God’s children; it tears them down.

When Christ looks out upon us, God’s creation, he looks upon us with splagchnizomai and shares his love and peace with us.

     May we, with open hearts and minds, be moved with splagchnizomai as we look upon God’s creation and are moved to share the love of Christ, which tears down the dividing walls and creates the desire for all people to be of one body, one humanity, one family in the household of God.