"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves....Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves." (Matthew 10:16; Luke 10:3)
In the Matthew text, Jesus gives us our modus operandi, "Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." Too many times religious people have been wise as doves and harmless as serpents. "I send you out," and, "Go your way," however, is the command of our Lord, and, I might add, the glorious privilege of the Church. Now missionaries have often said that while some cannot go, they can invest in those who do. There is truth in this. What FHMP does is made possible in part by people who know what we are doing, believe in it/us, and invest in us. Yet as thankful as we are for those who partner with us, our text is still the call to all who Follow Jesus, no matter "where" or "how" that call is fulfilled.
Bonhoeffer once wrote, "Jesus Christ lived in the midst of His enemies....So the Christians, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes. There is his commission, his work." He then quoted Martin Luther, "The kingdom is to be in the midst of our enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared." This is no time for the Church to retreat to "the seclusion of a cloistered life," but rather continue to serve our Lord Jesus Christ "in the thick of foes." I plan to continue to be "in the thick of foes" in Washington, DC, Berlin, Germany, and Jerusalem, Israel, and in the "routine" of daily life. And I encourage you, my friend, right in the midst of any "foes," and "enemies," see Jesus Christ manifesting Himself powerfully in you.
In the movie, "The Untouchables," Ness tells Capone after Capone is found guilty, "Never stop fighting 'til the fighting's done." This is the theme of every Follower of Jesus Christ. Please excuse the personal reference here, but I can remember one of my best football games I ever played was one in which they scored then we scored then they scored then we scored, etc., etc. The final score? our team: 39, their team 19. This is the "game" of life, and the outcome is total victory for those in Jesus Christ. Another game found us behind 13-0 in the first quarter. The offensive team was on the sideline and I said pathetically, "Come on guys, we can still win." One of our coaches, Blackie Mahalic, (what a name, right?) looked at me with a great fighting spirit and said, "You're *&%$ right we can still win." Score: Our team 36, their team 13. While all of this may have been for what Isaiah calls, "....the crown of pride...whose glorious beauty is a fading flower...," it helped developed a "fighting spirit," a never give up attitude, an attitude that in the face of overwhelming odds, we press into the battle rather than flee from it. Quitting is not an option!
You and I are not laboring/fighting for, " the crown of pride...whose glorious beauty is a fading flower." On the contrary; we are, as Brother Charles once said, in the "battle for the hearts and minds of men." Maybe in part we can do this from our living rooms or the cloister. I do not deny the power of "living room-cloister" prayer. But if the Church is to fulfill the "Great Commission"/Command, it must obey the command of Jesus, "Go your way; behold, I send you out."
Father, in Jesus' Name, thank you for all Your "lesson" of the Kingdom You have been teaching and working in me throughout my life. I pray to be faithful to fulfill Your "life's lessons." Amen.
**************
* Preaching this coming Sunday, November 11, in the CCE meeting
* Great US Election follow up commentary: www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com
In the Matthew text, Jesus gives us our modus operandi, "Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." Too many times religious people have been wise as doves and harmless as serpents. "I send you out," and, "Go your way," however, is the command of our Lord, and, I might add, the glorious privilege of the Church. Now missionaries have often said that while some cannot go, they can invest in those who do. There is truth in this. What FHMP does is made possible in part by people who know what we are doing, believe in it/us, and invest in us. Yet as thankful as we are for those who partner with us, our text is still the call to all who Follow Jesus, no matter "where" or "how" that call is fulfilled.
Bonhoeffer once wrote, "Jesus Christ lived in the midst of His enemies....So the Christians, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes. There is his commission, his work." He then quoted Martin Luther, "The kingdom is to be in the midst of our enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared." This is no time for the Church to retreat to "the seclusion of a cloistered life," but rather continue to serve our Lord Jesus Christ "in the thick of foes." I plan to continue to be "in the thick of foes" in Washington, DC, Berlin, Germany, and Jerusalem, Israel, and in the "routine" of daily life. And I encourage you, my friend, right in the midst of any "foes," and "enemies," see Jesus Christ manifesting Himself powerfully in you.
In the movie, "The Untouchables," Ness tells Capone after Capone is found guilty, "Never stop fighting 'til the fighting's done." This is the theme of every Follower of Jesus Christ. Please excuse the personal reference here, but I can remember one of my best football games I ever played was one in which they scored then we scored then they scored then we scored, etc., etc. The final score? our team: 39, their team 19. This is the "game" of life, and the outcome is total victory for those in Jesus Christ. Another game found us behind 13-0 in the first quarter. The offensive team was on the sideline and I said pathetically, "Come on guys, we can still win." One of our coaches, Blackie Mahalic, (what a name, right?) looked at me with a great fighting spirit and said, "You're *&%$ right we can still win." Score: Our team 36, their team 13. While all of this may have been for what Isaiah calls, "....the crown of pride...whose glorious beauty is a fading flower...," it helped developed a "fighting spirit," a never give up attitude, an attitude that in the face of overwhelming odds, we press into the battle rather than flee from it. Quitting is not an option!
You and I are not laboring/fighting for, " the crown of pride...whose glorious beauty is a fading flower." On the contrary; we are, as Brother Charles once said, in the "battle for the hearts and minds of men." Maybe in part we can do this from our living rooms or the cloister. I do not deny the power of "living room-cloister" prayer. But if the Church is to fulfill the "Great Commission"/Command, it must obey the command of Jesus, "Go your way; behold, I send you out."
Father, in Jesus' Name, thank you for all Your "lesson" of the Kingdom You have been teaching and working in me throughout my life. I pray to be faithful to fulfill Your "life's lessons." Amen.
**************
* Preaching this coming Sunday, November 11, in the CCE meeting
* Great US Election follow up commentary: www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
