Artist: Sarah Schwieger
Medium: Oil on panel
Titles:
Good Shepherd
Because we have been loved, we know how to love others. Because we have been rescued, we know how to rescue others.
Cousins
What type of relationship did Jesus and his cousin John have? Perhaps they had never met before this moment. Perhaps they had played with each other as children. I like to think that John was a cherished friend and lifelong support to Jesus. Both were predestined before birth by God to fulfill formidable assignments. Both would preach difficult truths. Both were hated enough to die at the hands of their accusers. If anyone had an ounce of understanding about the weight of responsibility upon Jesus, it was John. How compassionate of God to place John in Jesus’s life as a support, especially during baptism.
Martha and Mary
Martha was trying so hard to create a meal fit for a king. The King of Kings would, in fact, be sitting at her table later that night … plus at least twelve others. Martha felt frustrated, stressed, and alone. Maybe her sister, Mary, also had responsibilities that night. The work had to be done, but could it be done at the feet of Jesus? By allowing Jesus to help, maybe Mary could attend to her duties and fill her soul at the same time. There are seasons of life where the work never ends. During those times, I imagine Jesus waiting for us to invite him to be near: while rocking a baby, walking to a meeting, cleaning a skinned knee, washing dishes… Perhaps Jesus was reminding Martha to invite him to be nearby during her important service of preparing a large meal.
Offering
5000 were fed with 5 loaves and 2 fishes. All because of the faith filled offering of a boy. His offering was meager, but it was all that he had. And it was enough. More than enough. Christ can take any offering of ours, what seem like minuscule contributions, and expand them to miracle sized proportions. A small prayer, 15 minutes of service, a few dollars in the plate … these can change the world around us, but they also have the ability to change US completely. Can you imagine what this boy felt that day? What he remembered for years afterward?
Road to Emmaus
After the death of Jesus Christ, his disciples were incredibly confused. Jesus, who they had seen do unexplainable miracles, was dead? How was that possible? And then suddenly his tomb was opened and he was no longer there. Some said that he was alive again, but again, how was that possible? In Luke chapter 24 we hear about two people traveling 7 1/2 miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus. One was a disciple named Cleopas and there is good reason to believe he was traveling with his wife, Mary, although we don’t know for sure. As these two travelled, they talked and tried to wrap their minds around the events of the last few days. After awhile, Jesus joined them in their journey and their discussion, although he didn’t allow them to recognize him yet. As these two travelers wrestled with their spiritual and physical journey, Christ was there. As we wrestle with our own spiritual and physical journeys, Christ is there. Like the disciples, we may not see Christ’s face but we can know of his presence in our lives by the Holy Spirit who can cause “our heart to burn within us.”
