THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 10:40-42
“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and… the one who sent me.” (Matthew 10:40)
God created us to re-present Him, to be ‘like God’ in the world, to the world.
When we live like God (ie good, loving, merciful, faithful, etc), we reflect God.
Anyone who welcomes this goodness, even if they don’t know God, welcome God.
Even if they offer kindness to a disciple of Jesus, they will be rewarded by God.
The assumption here is that the disciple is indeed reflecting God and Jesus.
When Haitian slaves rebelled against their ‘Christian’ rulers, they weren’t rejecting God.
They were rejecting those who enslaved, abused, and murdered them, servants of Satan.
Can we blame them that they also rejected the God they claimed to represent?
Our response to justice or injustice reveals the inclination of our heart.
If we respond well to a servant of light, we show the light in our own heart.
If we reject a servant of darkness, we also show the light in our heart.
We are sent by God to bring His light (love, goodness) into the world.
We are sent to draw people back to Him, through repentance, faith and obedience.
As they see His light shining in us, they will either be drawn to it, or resist it.
How people respond to that light exposes the inclination of the heart within.
God will reward those who are open to the light.
Even those who may not know God, or Jesus, but see their goodness in us!
‘With great power comes great responsibility!’
May people be drawn to the light in us!
May people not reject God or Jesus because of the darkness in us!
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, what an honor and responsibility to be Your ambassador, Your representative in the world. I cannot shine without Your help, I need Your Spirit, Your help.
Jesus follower
trying to find His way
Do this and live – that is what the Master said. Do any act in His His name – and it does not have to be great. Even the smallest act of kindness, do it in His name like giving a cup of cold water. How easy is that? As His disciple, just reach out and do and that is a possibility when I clothe myself each day anew with His armour so that I can live the fruit of the Spirit. No act of kindness, no act of compassion, no act given in Jesus name is small. I just need to do it and live in Jesus name and by His grace this is a possibility and reality.
Hope for all the world, You came down,
Traded heaven’s throne for a sinner’s crown,
Grace poured out.
Son of righteousness crucified,
Hanging on the cross You paid the price,
To give us life
In Jesus’ name our sins are washed away,
In Jesus’ name we are rescued, we are saved,
For love has come to make a way for us,
In Jesus’ name there is freedom for the broken,
In Jesus’ name there is healing for the hopeless,
For all our days, we rest in Jesus’ name
You alone are good forever true,
Never far away, we’re holding on to You,
Only You
In Jesus’ name our sins are washed away,
In Jesus’ name we are rescued, we are saved,
For love has come to make a way for us,
In Jesus’ name there is freedom for the broken,
In Jesus’ name there is healing for the hopeless,
For all…