Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
The passion to evangelize
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord
of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field”.
It
is well known that Christians have been instructed by Jesus to spread the
gospel to the world. The “Great Commission,” found in Matthew 28:18-20, is
familiar to all and is a driving force behind the universal church’s mission to
evangelize. However, it is just as important to note here what Jesus did not
say. In fact, his instructions were rather sparse. Anyone who has organized a
large event or been part of an organizing committee knows that one does not
convey the details of what needs to get done in approximately only 200 words or
less (half a page). Jesus sent seventy-two people to spread the message of the
Kingdom of God and his instructions were only nine verses long.
Jesus
allowed his disciples a significant amount of control over his message. Given
the Jewish propensity toward a plethora of rules and regulations in religious
matters, it would have been natural for him to add dozens of details regarding
what was permissible and what was not. And yet – he did not do this. He gave
them the freedom to take his message and to make it their own, trusting that
they would not distort nor twist his intent. This points to one of the
great truths of spreading any message – if one gives people the freedom to take
a message and to make it their own, one allows for passion to develop and it
seems that this is precisely what happened for in verse 17, we read that the
seventy-two returned with joy. Jesus did not hamper his disciples with
burdensome details that would cloud his original intent – he issued a few well-chosen
words and then sent them out.
Not
only did Jesus not issue any detailed regulation, he also told his disciples
not to be a burden to those whom they visited. In fact, they were to eat and
drink whatever was set before them. He issues no commandment for the disciples
to wash themselves ceremonially before eating or to ensure that the pots and
pans of the house had been washed according to Jewish custom. The rabbis of the
day would have been aghast at such behavior but Christ was looking for people -
not pots and pans. How often we forget! The lack of regulation that had for so
long haunted (and still continues to haunt) the Jews was lifted. All nations
can make Christ their own and on their own terms. Sometimes, it seems that this
part of the message has gotten lost among Christians, particularly among
institutionalized churches, including the Mar Thoma Church. Of course, this is
a lofty ideal. Paraphrasing what Sadhu Sundar Singh once said, “The message of
Christ would have spread far more widely in India if it had been served in an
Indian vessel and not in a European one.”
Prayer: Lord help us to understand what is Gospel and strengthen
us to spread it among all nations and communities, Amen
Thought for the Day: “The message of Christ would have spread
far more widely in India if it had been served in an Indian vessel and not in a
European one.”
Philip
Varghese, St. John’s Mar Thoma Church – New York
Theme for the week: Passion to Evangelize