Are You Hungry?نموونە

Look around the room you’re in right now. Is there anything you keep not because it is useful but because it is simply beautiful? Maybe you have a piece of art that does more than add colour to the walls; it evokes a memory or feeling. Maybe it was given to you by someone you love, came from a place that brings you joy, or, for some other reason, just belongs. Beautiful things have a place.

However, in our fast-paced world, the useful is almost always prioritized over the good and the beautiful. Sometimes this means that people are thrown aside when they can’t prove their worth, people whom Jesus would have welcomed and loved. Perhaps you’ve felt this way.

In the two stories we read today, Jesus demonstrates that the kingdom of God has different priorities than the world. Beauty and goodness aren’t an afterthought; they are what the kingdom is centred on!

Instead of providing wine that met the minimum standard, Jesus created the best wine and far greater quantity than was needed for the celebration. When a woman anointed Him with expensive oil and her own tears, Jesus didn’t chastise her waste. Her gift was called beautiful and an expression of the gospel. She recognized the beauty and goodness of Jesus and gave an extravagant gift.

Jesus accepted the gift. He, too, was about to give the extravagant priceless gift of His own life, poured out like an offering because of His great love—a gift, not everyone is willing to accept.

If you’ve experienced love, you know it rarely considers what is the most practical, rational, or efficient. Love wants to give up everything, make a grand romantic gesture, spend more than is necessary, care more deeply, and even be consumed. Think about who and what you’ve given up something for. Love is our greatest motivation to express beauty and goodness.

In the kingdom of God, people are called together to order a world around what is beautiful and what is good. But for those who love God, we are not told to direct our sacrifice to Him alone. Rather, God says we love Him by directing our love to others.

One way Jesus taught us we can live a kingdom life is to fight for goodness and perform acts of beauty. When people experience these things, they gain a taste of God’s good and beautiful kingdom.

Reflect:

• What is something beautiful God has done in your life?
• What is a beautiful sacrifice or gesture you have seen someone make? What was the motivation? What was the result?
• What is something beautiful or good you can do in response to your love for God and others today?