Tuesday October 4, 2011

Read: Matthew 8:5-7. Acts 11:1-3

 

As I sat in a church leadership meeting, I saw many concerned faces. This body had the power to allow or to veto the ministry decision that I had presented to them. The idea was simple. As a church we could cook a weekly bbq in the park where many homeless people hung out each and every night. By feeding them we would be meeting their most pressing need and we would open doors for gospel sharing. We had the volunteers lined up and ready. We had the finances and goods donated already. We needed nothing but the approval of this body. But the leadership looked concerned.

 

The first question was fired, more as a statement than a question. ‘What if they come to our church?’   Then came another, ‘What if they are antagonistic?’ After a dozen what if’s I began to sense that the leadership were decidedly antagonistic towards the idea. A taboo area had been touched and raised.

 

Yesterday, we talked about being unclean and how this largely influenced all of Jewish thinking. In this week’s passage we see Jesus willingly interact with a centurion. A centurion was a Roman, a non-Jew, a Gentile and it was forbidden for a Jew to associate with a Gentile.  Not only was he willing to associate with this man, he was willing to go with him to his home to heal the sick servant. If Jesus were an ordinary man He would have been made unclean by the contact with the gentile. Even so, Jesus was willing. We saw last week that Jesus was willing to touch a leper, the epitome of uncleanness. He was willing to reach out in love and compassion for the sake of the other person.

 

Paul the Apostle understood Jesus’ approach. In writing to the Corinthians he said, ‘I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the Gospel…’ ( 1 Cor 9:22-23). To those under the law  Paul would become like one under the law. To those who were not under law he became like one not under law. Paul would do anything to win people over to Christ.

 

I dream of churches overflowing with such Spirit filled men and women and children. I dream of churches overflowing with the love of the Lord, the love of one’s neighbour so much so that they are willing to look unclean in the eyes of tradition and unwritten law. I dream of the communities around churches finding the love of Christ, because someone from within the church reached out with the love and compassion of Christ in real, practical terms. I dream of churches willingly setting up projects and programs to help those in dire need and willingly taking on ministries that the world has by and large neglected or abandoned.

 

What about you? Are you willing to become all things to all men? Are you willing to go without so that someone might come to know the love of Christ? Are you willing to give up your time to serve the poor and needy, to help the homeless, to be a father to the fatherless and a friend to the friendless? Are you willing to give up your time, your comfort and your treasures to be like Christ to the people around you in your community?

 

Get your cell to start planning a way to reach out to the local community with the love of Christ.

 

 

Prayer Points:

> That many people will be drawn to Christian bookstores where they can find salvation through the truth found in the Words of God.