"As the Father sent me, I am sending you." John 20:21
Ponder that statement. Think about what that might mean. Does it scare you at all? Does it make you uncomfortable at all? Does it make you wonder? If it doesn't, you might want to read it again; ponder it more deeply. As God sent Jesus, He is sending YOU.
How did God send Jesus? What was Jesus' mission? What did it look like?
He humbled himself. He took the form of servant. He was obedient even to the point of DEATH. He went from the riches of heaven to earthly rags; from exaltation to humiliation; authority to obedience; significance to rejection; comfort to hardship; safety to danger; life to death. THAT is what his mission looked like. He calls YOU in the same way. Does that make you uncomfortable NOW? Did you look at that list???
Do you take that mission seriously? And to what lengths? Do you carry his message into the workplace? Into your family? Your city? Your country? What about into the depths of another country? Would you go that far? Would you risk your comfort? Your safety? Your life? Would you; to share His love, His hope, His life with someone who desperately needs it? What does your mission look like? Does it look like his? If not, why not? Are you willing? As the Father sent Him, so He sends YOU.
Ignore this if you choose. Don't ponder it. Read it and go to the next blog, the next email, the phone, or whatever. It is your choice. But no matter what you choose to do, KNOW that you have been called just as He was. JUST AS HE WAS. Are you willing to dilute the mission to fit your needs, your desires, your schedule and your comforts, your lukewarm/sideline Christianity? How far are you willing to go? To what lengths? Or are you just along for the ride and waiting for the next person to cross YOUR path? What is being in His service costing you? Anything? It cost Him everything. And as He was sent, so YOU are sent. We are to die to ourselves and pick up our cross and follow Him. When was the last time you felt the weight of a cross your back? Have you ever felt it? Are there any splinters in your back? Have there ever been any? He is calling you, just as He was called. He is sending you, just as He was sent. Ponder it along with me and see if you (we) are TRULY living the mission.
5 comments:
Such POWERFUL and VERY TRUE statements...ALL of them!!!
Ah, this is a question I have been pondering for some time now. I often think of Paul, who did more to spread the Message more than anyone else I think. What was his earthly reward? Would anyone want to exchange their comfortable lives for his? Probably not...but Jesus appeared to Paul personally. I've always wondered what Paul would do today without that up close and personal intervention. I have been a little bit disturbed that the church teaches Christianity as a self-help religion. Be a good Christian and your life will be great! Not necessarily true if you read the story of Paul and John The Baptist to name only a couple. So how far have I gone? Not far at all. I don't feel called, to tell the truth, even though the Bible says that I am...I think I'm a good person but not a very good Christian.
IF we were ABLE to stay out of these Gospels (especially John), we would be more comfortable. We could set our focus on our own families, our own congregations, our own careers, our own concerns, our own world, but instead these "red-letter" words reach out and grab us. Words spoken by the One with splinters in His back. His words have that "eternal" consequence meaning, beside which, everything else melts. And, one does not get the feeling that His words are a recommendation or a suggestion, more like an expectation. We are NOT being asked, we are being told. We do not need to pay the price for redemption, simply to make sure the Truth gets out, effectively. What His words require is sacrifice. Even in the "OLD Book" sacrifice was required. Jesus' sacrifice was His life & His blood, ours is less (praise God), but sacrifice we must, to be like our Savior. Right on!
Yeah Lance, I sometimes wonder, when I hear scriptures quoted about having life and having it to the full and promises to prosper us, and not harm us etc...where in the Bible does that EVER say that will happen HERE ON EARTH? It doesn't. Perhaps only when we see Him face to face and live with Him eternally in Heaven will some of us experience the promises He made. Those promises of a "good, unharmed, prosperous life" just may be the heavenly reward. Many do not see the "good life" (in earthly terms) while living in THIS life. I don't think that is what the promise is or what CHURCH should be promoting either. I hear exactly what you are saying and it disturbs me too. In this life our fullness comes from Him living within us, despite whatever circumstances may befall us, but the reward, the REAL reward, is NOT in this life. It is our reward in HEAVEN. John and Paul knew that FULL WELL. They lived this life to the full...and that means full of HIM, knowing that this life is but a vapor and the reward is in the next life, in Heaven forever with HIM.
i really needed to hear this tonite to gain some depth, thank you so much for posting this so truthfully and honestly.
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