“Our task as image-bearing, God-loving, Christ-shaped, Spirit-filled Christians, following Christ and shaping our world, is to announce redemption to a world that has discovered its fallenness, to announce healing to a world that has discovered its brokenness, to proclaim love and trust to a world that knows only exploitation, fear and suspicion...The gospel of Jesus points us and indeed urges us to be at the leading edge of the whole culture, articulating in story and music and art and philosophy and education and poetry and politics and theology and even--heaven help us--Biblical studies, a worldview that will mount the historically-rooted Christian challenge to both modernity and postmodernity, leading the way...with joy and humor and gentleness and good judgment and true wisdom. I believe if we face the question, "if not now, then when?" if we are grasped by this vision we may also hear the question, "if not us, then who?" And if the gospel of Jesus is not the key to this task, then what is?”
This quote by biblical scholar N.T. Wright makes me stop and consider how Jesus lived his life. He was about the business of redeeming those who were in bondage, bringing healing to the broken, and proclaiming love to all.
He was in touch with the people in his culture. There was nobody too low, too dirty, too messed up, or too "worldly" that He would not help.
The good news that Jesus proclaimed and lived as he walked this earth made a positive impact on the people and culture of that day.
As followers of Christ, I am challenged to follow and lead others along the Way of Jesus in a way that is relevant to real people yet rooted in the historical movement Jesus started. Can this movement of Jesus bring supernatural healing to people and our world today?
3 comments:
Romans 1:16
"The gospel IS the power of God, for all those who have faith."
Matthew 28, "Go baptize... and teach...about Jesus." (paraphrased).
This is the job. And it has always been the job.
Yes... Matt 28... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you...
Jesus taught His diciples many things, there is much to learn, and much to obey. Here's one that comes to mind that is similar to the great commission in Mark 16.
Matt 10:7-8: As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Nice one, Jon!
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