No.5 Hungry For Wonder

The phrase “the crowds were amazed” appears several times throughout the Gospels. Whether it was a response to Jesus’ teachings, or miracles, or interaction with people, there was something about him that stuck wonder in the people around him.

When Jesus was teaching the crowd of 5,000, the disciples told him to let the people go so they could eat. Jesus’ response was, “You give them something eat” (Mark 6:30-44). Jesus may not physically walk the streets of the earth anymore, but we do. He commissioned us to do greater things than he did, to pray and heal the sick, to preach the Good News, and to love people.

Don’t worry. I’m not a militant evangelist. I’m not going to shame us into street witnessing. But I am challenging myself to remember that the same wonder-evoking presence that Jesus carried on earth lives inside of me. The hope of glory, Paul called it (Colossians 1:27).

I may never miraculously feed a crowd of five thousand people, but I can feed the people around with me with Jesus-wonder. I can love the people around me until their curiosity is peaked. I can speak words of life and encouragement into people’s flat-lined hearts.

It doesn’t matter what it looks like—on a stage in front thousands, in a classroom with seven, on the phone with one, on the care team at church. People are hungry for Jesus, and I have him alive and kicking on the inside.

Jesus, teach me how to feed the people. I want to team up with you and let the wonder out.