Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 The God who is with us during the crisis 

Mtt.28:16-20

VVs 20 “I will be with you always, till the end of the age.”
 

Jesus says:” I have been given all authority iThis text, popularly considered as the Great Commissioning, is a post-resurrection appearance of Jesus Christ. Resurrection has to do with the triumph of God over all forces of evil, sin and death in the world. The purpose of those appearances is to rejuvenate the disciples for the mission of the Kingdom of God. Rather than the so-called Christian triumphalism, what matters here is the mission motif behind such appearances. Let us highlight two thoughts from the text.
One: A new vision of authority.
Jesus says " I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.”(Vs.18)What kind of authority did Jesus manifest? In what way it is distinct form the worldly forms of authority? Unlike the socio-political notions of authority, the one manifested by Jesus is the authority to save, to heal, to transform and to reconcile. The risen Jesus gives the same authority to the Church and to his would-be followers. How do we manifest authority in our church?     Let us continuously be reminded that the authority in the church is mainly to serve others .When there was a rift among his own disciples as to which of them was the greatest, Jesus admonishes them  saying ;”The kings of the pagans have power over their people, and the rulers claim the title “Friends of the people. But this is not the way it is with you: rather, the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant.”(Lk.22:24-25)
Two: Christian discipleship
The commissioning of the risen Lord is clear:” Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them disciples…”(Vs.19)There  is a distinction between a devotee and a disciple. Devotees are found in all religious traditions: in Sabarimala, Velankanni, Manarcad and Maramon. The aim of a devotee is to please God and receive his special blessings through religious rituals. Notwithstanding the role of our life of devotion, let us ask whether our devotion to Jesus would enable us to become his disciples. A disciple is expected to follow the master, to obey him and to be in his salvific mission in the world. Jesus doesn’t expect us to make him an object of worship, a cult figure. He wants us to follow him on the way of the cross. (Mk.8:34).
 

Prayer

                    Lord, enable us to be your credible disciples.
               

Thought of the Day

Discipleship demands from us a corresponding, courageous obedience.
 

Rev.Dr.K.A.Abraham,Thiruvalla

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