OUT STRETCHED-ARMS

MATTHEW 15:32-37
^{32　Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”
33　The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”
34　Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”}They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.”
^{35　So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground.
36　Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.
37　They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food.}

MATTHEW 20:29-34
^{29　As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. 30　Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
31　“Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.}But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
^{32　When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33　“Lord,” they said, “we want to see!”
34　Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.}

MARK 1:40-41
^{40　A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.
41　Moved with compassion,* Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!”}

MARK 6:34³⁴Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

LUKE 7:11-15
^{11　Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him.
12　A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her.
13　When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said.
14　Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.”
15　Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.}

1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-7^{4　Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
5　or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
 6　It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
7　Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.}

1 PETER 2:21-23^{21　For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered* for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
22　He never sinned,}nor ever deceived anyone.^{*
23　He did not retaliate when he was insulted,}
nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,who always judges fairly.

1 PETER 3:8-9
^{8　Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters.* Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.
9　Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.}