Workers
Sometimes when I read a Scripture, I try to turn off the reflex of seeing what I've been taught for years—and try to see what is THERE instead of what I've been taught is THERE.
Here was the passage for today:
I've often had this Scripture presented to me as a proof text for the notion that we need workers for the harvest. Duh. And that said workers are to "bring Jesus to the people" or some similarly worded concept.
But one phrase, quietly, almost shyly snuggled with the end of a prepositional phrase, where it mayn't be noticed (since the next few words introduce a quote from Jesus Himself), is "intended to go."
Jesus wasn't asking the workers to Bring Him To The People. The workers were to PREPARE the people. Serve the people. Testify about Jesus. Show the people what life in the Kingdom was like, so the people would be ready to receive Him when "He Himself" arrived.
It's a different way of looking at it than the traditional (at least in my particular spiritual culture) methods of evangelism...which sometimes (albeit unintentionally) gives off an odor of "salesmanship."
So it's not OUR duty to make the people Christian. That's the Holy Spirit's doing. It's our duty to prepare people for when Christ shows Himself in their lives.
I don't really have a good closing thought to cap this post off. Anybody got anthing to add/dispute?
Here was the passage for today:
Luke 10:1-3
"After
this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in
pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said
to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few;
therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his
harvest."
I've often had this Scripture presented to me as a proof text for the notion that we need workers for the harvest. Duh. And that said workers are to "bring Jesus to the people" or some similarly worded concept.
But one phrase, quietly, almost shyly snuggled with the end of a prepositional phrase, where it mayn't be noticed (since the next few words introduce a quote from Jesus Himself), is "intended to go."
Jesus wasn't asking the workers to Bring Him To The People. The workers were to PREPARE the people. Serve the people. Testify about Jesus. Show the people what life in the Kingdom was like, so the people would be ready to receive Him when "He Himself" arrived.
It's a different way of looking at it than the traditional (at least in my particular spiritual culture) methods of evangelism...which sometimes (albeit unintentionally) gives off an odor of "salesmanship."
So it's not OUR duty to make the people Christian. That's the Holy Spirit's doing. It's our duty to prepare people for when Christ shows Himself in their lives.
I don't really have a good closing thought to cap this post off. Anybody got anthing to add/dispute?
Thanks for sharing
Matthew 13:11-14 (The Message)
"You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight.
He was asked why he told stories. His answer -- to create readiness so that receptive insight about the Kingdom can be received. Prepare the people, serve the people, testify about Jesus (Tell stories) to nudge them toward Kingdom understanding. Sounds like that's what we should still be doing.
I agree with you, and might I add for so long I have hated feeling like I was selling someone a used car when trying to talk to them about Christ. Jesus didn't call me to wow people and butter them up to Jesus, He called me to love people and be His image to them. Often we are condescending when we talk to others who have not been born-again, why on earth would someone want to come to a saviour who is condescending?