Read these words this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord”…
“Why do you judge your brother or sister? Why do you treat them with contempt? … Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.” (from Romans 14.10-12)…
Then decided to check out how the Message paraphrase puts it…
“So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly — or worse. Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit… SO TEND TO YOUR OWN KNITTING. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.”
“Nuff said!” Goin’ to “tend to my own knitting” (or as I heard it growing up… “MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!) 😉
We’ve grown accustomed to seeing “Help needed!” and “Hiring now” signs everywhere as a consequence of “Covid Lockdowns.” Employers are facing incredible challenges! But it’s not limited to just the consequences of Covid! Several years ago we entered a restaurant to get a bite to eat for lunch. There were only two individuals waiting tables and the tables were full of hungry people!! (A busload of individuals had stopped for lunch just before we arrived.) The waitress in charge was doing her best, but the size of the task was overwhelming. She did her best to get us seated, but it was not long before I saw her over at the phone, frantically calling people with an urgent voice saying, “I’ve got a restaurant full of hungry guests, you’ve got to come! I need help… NOW!!”
Thought of that scene as I read Matthew 9.35-38 this morning in the Bible!
Jesus had done all He could to personally minister to the needs of the multitudes in the towns and villages around Him… The Bible puts it this way… “Jesus went through all the villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”
The needs of the crowds and the size of the task, however, were overwhelming… “When He saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Nothing has changed! We, as “the body of Christ” have been called (mandated, if you please … commissioned) to share in His task… to teach and proclaim the “good news” – the Gospel. We’ve been called to share His ministry as “the body of Christ” – a ministry that also includes healing the hurts of humanity through His incredible power. The size of the challenge, though, is overwhelming – there is so much to be done.”
The solution to this problem? What did Jesus prescribe? “Then Jesus (I believe with urgency) said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore, to send out workers into His harvest!”
The way I see it, we who are followers of Jesus are to do everything we can personally to fulfill and further His ministry – no slackers, no one can be simply sitting on the sidelines as self-satisfied spectators! The task is great and the needs are pressing! … When we’re doing all we can personally and feel absolutely overwhelmed, we need to pick up the phone (the “heavenly phone”) on a regular basis and ask (pray!) for “the Lord of the harvest to send out more workers into His harvest!” He is faithful! I believe He will!
This morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord” my Bible reading included Matthew 9:20-22 – the story of the healing of the woman with the long term “flow of blood”
Think of the barriers this lady faced…
Culturally “unclean” … 12 long years and no medical help … the size of the crowd … her personal fear (even reticence to interrupt a very busy Jesus) …
But she took heart, pressed through, reached out in “faith” and Divine “virtue” flowed from the Messiah, the Son of God, Savior, and Healer to her! (Check the parallel passages – Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48)
What might you or I have allowed to dissuade us and hinder us from pressing through in faith? I don’t know about you, but I want to exhibit the kind of faith that causes me to “press through” and “reach out!”
