The work I do, I do in the name of Jesus Christ
38John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.”
39“Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. 40Anyone who is not against us is for us. 41If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.
42“But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck. 43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of helli with two hands.j 45If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet.k 47And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’l
49“For everyone will be tested with fire.m 50Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.”
Have you ever met someone who is does something that you do not agree with in faith and yet they are doing it in the name of Jesus? I am often reminded of this verse. There are many times that I would prefer to stop the person and yet this verse reminds me that I am the one who should stop. Yet I struggle, do you stop the Christian who is doing more damage to the person and the "image" of Christians by continuing their work or do you allow them to continue in the work hoping and praying that God is leading them and will use this as a moment to share grace within the people's lives later.
Paul often talks about the work of the Spirit but Jesus never does. Jesus says, "Deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me." Jesus never says what it will look like because God calls us to do different work at different times. Jesus never says to take your knowledge and judge someone else. Jesus does say that we are "to love one another as we love ourselves." Yet even that statement can be used to do something negative (or at least that is how it can be perceived). I mean, a parent disciplines their chid out of love, the parent does this so that the child knows boundaries and will understand that there are parts of life that harmful, do not go our way or simply that we have a limit to what we should do. (While I would enjoy eating chocolate cake and ice cream at every meal. I have learned that I shouldn't.)
But then what limits should we put on God? Or perhaps the more important question, what limits does God place on us at this time? The reason I ask that question is sometimes God calls us to do something and will empower us to do the work by giving us strength, patience, understanding or something else that we will need but there are other times that we want something to happen, we want God to act but God wants us to wait to allow God's Will to truly be witnessed. (I should note here, that I am not referring to painful situations in which God will deliver you or want you to suffer to learn these things.) For truly it is God's Will, the one that sees the big picture that we should want to take place rather than our limited and often self centered view of the world.
So with that in mind, I wonder if it is time for us to take a step back and look at why we are doing the things we are doing. Is the goal that we are hoping for really being reached, or do we even have a goal at all? And the more important question, is this what God is calling us to do now or what we want to have happen? These are not easy questions and not something that we should quickly answer but take some time and prayer to really find the answers.
When Christ was going through the crowds of people; healing the sick, making the blind see, and deaf hear. God was not making these people whole but was enabling them to share their story with the community around them and bear witness to the Will of God within the world: Bringing people together in the name of God. That is truly what God wants for us, for you. To gather together with people to work together helping one another and others around you who are in need, whether they are strangers, travellers, outcasts, or anyone else because they are part of the creation that God has created. We are not suppose to ask, is this person worth? But instead ask the question, how may I serve this person.
I don't think that I will be able to stop the person who is doing something that I do not agree with in the name of Jesus but I will talk to the person who they are hurting with their words or actions. I will remind them of the love, grace and compassion that Jesus brings into the world and shares with us. How there are others who are willing to listen and value them as a part of the whole body of our community. But then, that's what I feel God is calling me to do. Those are the gifts that God has given to me to use and share for the glory of Jesus and thus the Father.
Paul often talks about the work of the Spirit but Jesus never does. Jesus says, "Deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me." Jesus never says what it will look like because God calls us to do different work at different times. Jesus never says to take your knowledge and judge someone else. Jesus does say that we are "to love one another as we love ourselves." Yet even that statement can be used to do something negative (or at least that is how it can be perceived). I mean, a parent disciplines their chid out of love, the parent does this so that the child knows boundaries and will understand that there are parts of life that harmful, do not go our way or simply that we have a limit to what we should do. (While I would enjoy eating chocolate cake and ice cream at every meal. I have learned that I shouldn't.)
But then what limits should we put on God? Or perhaps the more important question, what limits does God place on us at this time? The reason I ask that question is sometimes God calls us to do something and will empower us to do the work by giving us strength, patience, understanding or something else that we will need but there are other times that we want something to happen, we want God to act but God wants us to wait to allow God's Will to truly be witnessed. (I should note here, that I am not referring to painful situations in which God will deliver you or want you to suffer to learn these things.) For truly it is God's Will, the one that sees the big picture that we should want to take place rather than our limited and often self centered view of the world.
So with that in mind, I wonder if it is time for us to take a step back and look at why we are doing the things we are doing. Is the goal that we are hoping for really being reached, or do we even have a goal at all? And the more important question, is this what God is calling us to do now or what we want to have happen? These are not easy questions and not something that we should quickly answer but take some time and prayer to really find the answers.
When Christ was going through the crowds of people; healing the sick, making the blind see, and deaf hear. God was not making these people whole but was enabling them to share their story with the community around them and bear witness to the Will of God within the world: Bringing people together in the name of God. That is truly what God wants for us, for you. To gather together with people to work together helping one another and others around you who are in need, whether they are strangers, travellers, outcasts, or anyone else because they are part of the creation that God has created. We are not suppose to ask, is this person worth? But instead ask the question, how may I serve this person.
I don't think that I will be able to stop the person who is doing something that I do not agree with in the name of Jesus but I will talk to the person who they are hurting with their words or actions. I will remind them of the love, grace and compassion that Jesus brings into the world and shares with us. How there are others who are willing to listen and value them as a part of the whole body of our community. But then, that's what I feel God is calling me to do. Those are the gifts that God has given to me to use and share for the glory of Jesus and thus the Father.
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