doing the stuff

I don't know about you but when I read through the scriptures I cannot help to be amazed and struck by the events and acts contained within it. The many times that God intevenes in miraclous ways to the glory of his name and salvation for his creation. What amazes me more (if that could be so) he choses to use normal people. You see this to a degree in the Old Testament with the prophets and priests. However with the arrival of Jesus into the world he created we see the beginnings of a new way of doing things - Jesus is incredible!!

Anyway before I get side tracked from the subject I want to cover which is the triune God chosing to to use ordinary people in his mission to bring men and women to salvation.

It is God who saves in and through Christ the redeemer by the regenerating work if the Holy Spirit. We must get that clear from the outset. The passage of scripture that I have been mulling over the last few days is Matthew 10. What an amazing passage it is!

The first things that I noticed again (I say again because this is something I know but sometimes things just take on a fresh meaning, emphasis or perspective) was the call of Jesus to be his disciples. One can assume that this was not the first time that they had met but here Matthew records the twelve together being commission by Jesus. It is in this account by Matthew that we read of Jesus not only calling disciples but giving them authority.

When Jesus calls he calls for a reason and a purpose. He does not call us to be self-seeking, self indulgent followers of the King but rather self-sacrificing, overly generous worshipers of the King. He calls disciples and gives them authority to do the stuff that he calls people of the kingdom to partake in.

What is doing the stuff? "He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness...As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."

I find this really challenging and at the same time inspiring as a disciple whom Jesus has called to follow him. Now I don't want to be to narrow about what that might look like in the world in which we live today, however I do believe that it was clear to the disciples that Jesus spoke directly to face to face what he meant! They literally did see the sick healed, evil spirits sent packing, they preached the gospel to great affect. Which is why to this day there are people like you and me trying to work out living for Jesus and being obedient to his commands. Imagine if they had not taken him at his word; what would have been the result?

Now while I don't want to be to narrow in my reading of the text neither do I want to be so broad that I navigate around the text and some how water down the message and command that Jesus commissioned his disciple with. In this dialogue Jesus is giving the disciples to do the things that he himself did therefore this commissioning is an extension of Jesus own authority and is to be stewarded under his leadship and guidance. However Jesus was preparing his disciples for his eventual departure form this earth so that they could carry on his ministry and in doing so do great things than he - purley by the fact that Jesus impact through the fledgling disciples in the power of the Spirit would have far wider reaching affect that if Jesus had hung around physically to do all the work.

So where does this leave us? Firstly as disciples of Jesus any authority that we may have is given pure and simple and we steward this for the glory of his name and the extension of his Kingdom. I get a little worried by people who claim authority as if they were orchastrating a military coup! So if we have been given authority to do this stuff that we see littered through the bible why do we not see more of it?

I have a couple of thoughts; firstly we want to see this stuff for our glory and not Jesus' and secondly because we do not undestand who we are in Christ and that he has given us everything we need to live a new life in his Kingdom.

Did the disciples set up a serious of "healing meetings" or did they share the Kingdom with the individual and then large crowds when the opportunity arose (I have a comparison between Acts 2 & 3 in mind here)? The message of the Kingdom went out amongst the nations because ordinary people believed that Jesus had called them and given them authority also to do the stuff, it was not longer just for a select few but for all who repent and believe. I am not saying that large gathering a wrong most of the time they are good but there is still far to much emphasis on the superstar minister who people all want to flock to for the "anointing." Maybe we just need to start believing and more importantly following Jesus rather that chasing half way round the world for a quick fix.

Wouldn't it be great if we started to see ordinary normal (what ever that looks like!) people like you and me doing the things that Jesus commissioned his disciples to do in the gospels - why can it not happen in our towns and cities where people work and play and live? I think Jesus is just looking for faithful people who will love him and love people.

till mext time...