SUNDAY 31ST MARCH 2019, 3RD SUNDAY BEFORE EASTER.
THEME: JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE
Psalm 42:1-8, 1 Corinthians 11:17-22, Luke 9:10-17
For the director of music. A maskil[c] of the Sons of Korah.
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One[d]
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
of in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God my life.
Footnotes:
- Psalm 42:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
- Psalm 42:1 In Hebrew texts 42:1-11 is numbered 42:2-12.
- Psalm 42:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 42:4 See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
1 Corinthians 11:17-22 New International Version (NIV)
Correcting an Abuse of the Lord’s Supper
17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you?Certainly not in this matter!
Luke 9:10-17 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God,and healed those who needed healing.
12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”
13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.”
They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.)
But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Jesus had compassion on the people. He knew they were hungry and they were far from their homes. Jesus performed a miracle by using a small amount of food to feed 5000 people. Even when everyone had eaten as much as they wanted the left over food was more than the food which they started with.
Jesus had fed the people spiritually first by His teachings and then He fed them physically. Jesus is concerned about all our needs and is able to satisfy as no one else can. Let us bring the little which we have to God and give it to Him and He will multiply it to meet our needs and the needs of those around us.
JUMAPILI TAREHE 31 MACHI 2019, SIKU YA BWANA YA 3 KABLA YA PASAKA
NENO KUU: YESU NI CHAKULA CHA UZIMA
Zaburi 42:1-8, 1 Korintho 11:17-22, Luka 9:10-17
Zaburi 42:1-8,
1 Kama ayala aioneavyo shauku mito ya maji. Vivyo hivyo nafsi yangu inakuonea shauku, Ee Mungu.
2 Nafsi yangu inamwonea kiu MUNGU, Mungu aliye hai, Lini nitakapokuja nionekane mbele za Mungu?
3 Machozi yangu yamekuwa chakula changu mchana na usiku, Pindi wanaponiambia mchana kutwa, Yuko wapi Mungu wako.
4 Nayakumbuka hayo nikiweka wazi nafsi yangu ndani yangu, Jinsi nilivyokuwa nikienda na mkutano, Na kuwaongoza nyumbani kwa Mungu, Kwa sauti ya furaha na kusifu, mkutano wa sikukuu.
5 Nafsi yangu, kwa nini kuinama, Na kufadhaika ndani yangu? Umtumaini Mungu; Kwa maana nitakuja kumsifu, Aliye afya ya uso wangu, Na Mungu wangu.
6 Nafsi yangu imeinama ndani yangu, kwa hiyo nitakukumbuka, Toka nchi ya Yordani, na Mahermoni, na toka kilima cha Mizari.
7 Kilindi chapigia kelele kilindi kwa sauti ya maboromoko ya maji yako, Gharika zako zote na mawimbi yako yote yamepita juu yangu.
8 Mchana Bwana ataagiza fadhili zake, na usiku wimbo wake utakuwa nami, Naam, maombi kwa Mungu aliye uhai wangu.
1 Korintho 11:17-22
17 Lakini katika kuagiza haya, siwasifu, ya kwamba mnakusanyika, si kwa faida bali kwa hasara.
18 Kwa maana kwanza mkutanikapo kanisani nasikia kuna faraka kwenu; nami nusu nasadiki;
19 kwa maana lazima kuwapo na uzushi kwenu, ili waliokubaliwa wawe dhahiri kwenu.
20 Basi mkutanikapo pamoja haiwezekani kula chakula cha Bwana;
21 kwa maana kila mmoja hutangulia kutwaa chakula chake katika kule kula; hata huyu ana njaa, na huyu amelewa.
22 Je! Hamna nyumba za kulia na kunywea? Au mnalidharau kanisa la Mungu, na kuwatahayarisha hao wasio na kitu? Niwaambieni? Niwasifu? La! Siwasifu kwa ajili ya hayo.
Luka 9:10-17
10 Basi wale mitume waliporudi walimweleza mambo yote waliyoyatenda; akawachukua, akaenda nao faraghani mpaka mji mmoja uitwao Bethsaida.
11 Na makutano walipojua walimfuata; akawakaribisha, akawa akisema nao habari za ufalme wa Mungu, akawaponya wale wenye haja ya kuponywa.
12 Na jua likaanza kushuka; wakamwendea wale Thenashara, wakamwambia, Uage mkutano, ili waende katika vijiji na mashamba ya kandokando wapate mahali pa kulala na vyakula, maana hapa tulipo ni nyika tupu.
13 Akawaambia, Wapeni ninyi chakula. Wakasema, Hatuna kitu zaidi ya mikate mitano na samaki wawili, tusipokwenda tukawanunulie watu hawa wote vyakula.
14 Kwa kuwa wanaume waliokuwako walipata kama elfu tano. Akawaambia wanafunzi wake, Waketisheni watu kwa safu, kila safu watu hamsini.
15 Wakafanya hivyo, wakawaketisha wote.
16 Akaitwaa ile mikate mitano na wale samaki wawili, akatazama juu mbinguni akavibariki, akavimega, akawapa wanafunzi wake ili wawaandikie mkutano.
17 Wakala, wakashiba wote; na katika vile vipande vilivyowabakia walikusanya vikapu kumi na viwili.
Yesu alihurumia watu. Alijua wana njaa na wako mbali na nyumbani. Aliwalisha watu 5000 kwa kutumia chakula kidogo. Na baada ya wote kushiba chakula kilichobaki kilizidi kile cha mwanzoni. Mujiza hii inaonyesha uwezo wa Yesu Kristo.
Yesu alilisha watu kwanza kiroho kwa mafundisho na baadaye kimwili kwa chakula. Yesu anajali mahitaji yetu kiroho na kimwili. Tukimpelekea vitu vidogo tunalivyonavyo atatimiliza. Atatutumia kubariki watu wengine. Tuwe tayari kuja kwa Yesu jinsi tulivyo. Atakutana na mahitaji yetu.
