Hello dear
We continue to reflect on the characteristics of Living Sacrifices (that is, living things) in today’s Holy Nougat
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19 NLT
Famous last words. Literally. According to the Matthews gospel, Jesus shared these words prior to leaving us. It is thought that final words carry special significance. And that is usually good reason for us to heed them. How much more so when they originate from Someone as important as Jesus?
Having spent three years discipling the disciples, Jesus returned from death to accompany them into the new dispensation – their season as teachers of the gospel. As a wise teacher, He encouraged the disciples and gave them keys to success. The words were also the mandate for the way forward: go disciple others. For just as reproduction is natural to living; so should spiritual reproduction be natural to living sacrifices. It just the way it is.
Within the living things life cycle, copulation isn’t compulsory to reproduction – cell division is. When the cell reaches maturity, it self divides until there are multiple replicas of the original cell. To some extent this is what ought to happen with us. With one major exception – we don’t actually split; because it is God’s Spirit Who is the Giver of Life Who is ‘duplicated’; not us.
Our real task then is to share what we have experienced. What hurdles do we face in our reproductive journey? Many of us worry about how to present Jesus so others would receive Him. Like the Sychar Woman who met Jesus at her lowest; we effect reproduction by sharing the gospel (ie good news of God’s Love for us) with anyone who needs to hear it.
In John 4; the woman ran back to her village in the midday sun to invite them to meet the Lord. Her action is significant and sacrificial on several levels: she was not the community favourite, her reputation was known to all; she left her water behind, so she would have had to make the trek again to get the water; in sharing the gospel, her life would be scrutinized by all and sundry; as a Jew, Jesus was not normally welcomed in the Samaritan community (she had gone over to the ‘enemy’).
We realize that reputation, employment, criticism, culture and gender are secondary to the real task set before us. It is Jesus Christ Who calls and equips; our task is to obey. And, in our obedience, others’ spirits are drawn to the Spirit of the Living God Who gives Life. Then on a spiritual level, Spirit overshadows spirit and reproduction occurs.
We become part of the process when our actions point to Christ dwelling within. It often requires sacrifice. Of the beatitudes variety – hungering for righteousness, being peacemakers (that requires entering the war zone), extending mercy, taking persecution and suffering; and then some; it’s outlined in Matthew 5. Paul, Peter, the Sychar woman, Nicodemus, Mary (Jesus’ mother) … they all gave up something to bear the gospel to others! Because they found that what they gained was far more worthwhile.
How worthwhile do we find Jesus? Enough to defy the odds and share Him with a hungry soul? Praying that our sacrifice today will yield fruit while we can still see it.
God bless you and good morning
In Christ’s love and grace . . .
