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Have you lost a loved one?

History tells us Jesus lost His earthly
father at an early age. As the oldest, He
probably had the responsibility of helping
to raise His half brothers and sisters.
Then He received the news that John
the Baptist had been beheaded. John
was His cousin and they were only six
months apart. John had prepared the
way for Jesus’ ministry. How did Jesus
react to this news? He wanted to go off
and be alone. But despite His pain, His
love for the people drew Him to minister
to their needs:
“When Jesus heard what had hap-
pened, he withdrew by boat pri-
vately to a solitary place. Hearing of
this, the crowds followed him on
foot from the towns. When Jesus
landed and saw a large crowd, he
had compassion on them and heal-
ed their sick.” Matthew 14:13-14

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