Nathan Semmler - Best Not Done Alone - Matthew 9:35-10:8
There are some things in life, that just can’t be done by one person alone. Can you think of any? Tug of war is one. Marriage is another. You can’t date or have a deep conversation by yourself. It’s impossible to hug alone. You can’t even offer a simple, friendly handshake if there’s no one on the other end of your hand. Yes, it’s true. No matter how strong our wishes or desires are, there are some things in life (perhaps more things than we care to acknowledge) that just aren’t meant to be done by one person alone. Try seesawing by yourself. Two people hanging wallpaper, works much better than just one. A funny movie is even funnier when it’s shared with someone else. And dinner at a restaurant tastes a lot better and is a lot more enjoyable when there’s someone else sitting at the table with you. It seems that it’s not God’s plan for some things to be experienced or done alone. Take the work of ministry. Ministering in Jesus’ name, isn’t meant to be a solo activity. Which, of course, is why God created, and to this day is still creating, church communities like ours: groups of people serving the Lord together, working in unison and doing their part as individual members of the Body of Christ.
When Jesus was conducting his earthly ministry, he discovered that the work of sharing the Good News, of God’s kingdom, was something best not done by himself. Even if it was possible for him to do that, at some point in time, Jesus came to realize that doing it without help, was impractical and inefficient. There were better, much more effective ways to share the Word, and make sure it continued to be shared. And one of those ways was to add recruits and other helpers.
Matthew’s Gospel described how Jesus perceived the hurt and brokenness around him. In the cities, towns, and villages he travelled to, everywhere he looked, our Lord encountered people who yearned to hear a message of hope; who wanted the healing presence of God, to come into their lives; who needed care and compassion. Jesus’ reaction, probably wasn’t any different that our own reaction, to how fragmented and wounded the world is today. Watch the news on TV, scan the Internet or read the front page of any newspaper, and we can’t help but think, “I knew things in the world were bad, but this bad?” Although we may try to convince ourselves otherwise, the world hasn’t changed much since Jesus’ day. In fact, a strong argument could be made that things have been on a downward slide from then to now.
Our world, like the world Jesus inhabited, contains so much heartache and heartbreak, that at times it can be overwhelming. People everywhere—including here in our own great nation, a rich and prosperous nation, are living in pain, fear and despair; and we know that, as individuals, the little we might be able to do to help make things better, is just a drop in the bucket. When Jesus began to mix and mingle with the crowds, the way he did in our reading from Matthew this morning, he recognized how desperation and misery had overtaken many people’s lives. He saw countless people, who were, as Matthew put it, “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Maybe that was the moment when Jesus realized he couldn’t adequately address all this pain, despair and need by himself. And even if he put his small band of twelve disciples to work, it wouldn’t be enough to get the job done. So, Jesus did more than just tell his disciples to help him; he also urged them to pray for God to send many more workers into the field, to assist in the great harvest of proclaiming good news to needy, hurting people. Jesus knew full well that his task was great; which is why he decided that the work God had sent him into the world to do, was something best not done alone.
During those early days of Jesus’ ministry, he came to understand that it was unreasonable, and unrealistic, to go about proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God by himself. Not only would it take longer than necessary to spread the Gospel, but he would have greater success if that message was also shared by his followers: those who had taken his message to heart, and wanted to carry it forward. If Jesus had decided to proclaim the Gospel alone, without any help, then when he died, that message could very well have died with him. Jesus must have understood - instinctively, if nothing else - that the kind of substantial change and social transformation he had in mind, was most likely to happen, and continue when ordinary people became enthusiastic advocates for it.
For Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom of God to become a reality, everyday people, moved by the Spirit of God, first had to be convinced, that the teachings and principles of the Kingdom, truly mattered, and would make a real difference in the world. And those people would be the ones, to share it and embody it. If Jesus’ message was to take root and continue to spread, it needed to be proclaimed by more voices than just his. That’s why he prayed and worked so diligently, to enlist others in helping him, accomplish the Kingdom building mission he was on. And, as I’m sure you realize, it was from this recruitment of other workers, to go into the harvest field and work, to build up God’s realm that the church sprung up. The church is a community of laborers, working together in the field (the world) to bring in God’s harvest. And the “harvest” is anyone who hasn’t already heard, or responded to Jesus’ call to believe in him and follow him. So, what is the end result, that you, and I, and all Christians are being called to strive toward? What was the ultimate purpose Jesus wanted to see come about?
The work we Christians are called to, is best not done alone. It is most effectively done by all of us. Together. Many different individual Christians and churches, of every denomination, working in the field side-by-side, harvesting for God, as a united community. That’s the only way we can possibly hope to accomplish any of God’s work. By the way, that work isn’t meant to be done just within these church walls. We’re called to go out and do it, in the everyday, rough-and-tumble world, in which we live: the dirty, gritty places around us where we encounter the helpless, the harassed, and the hungry. That’s where the good news of God’s compassion, justice, and mercy, most desperately need to be proclaimed and heard.
My friends, just as it was in Jesus’ day, in 2023, the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few. Jesus has put out the call. Many more hands are needed. God’s labor force encompasses the whole people of God, all the disciples of Jesus, each of us, supporting, encouraging, and helping one another; working, sharing bread, and worshipping God together. We’re to do this, to give people a foretaste of God’s Kingdom, and show the world what God’s love, grace, and compassion, look like when they’re lived out in the flesh. It’s a daunting task, to be sure; and we take it on with the full realization, that we will never be able to completely accomplish it. What the Lord is asking of us, is to do what we can, the best that we can, to accomplish whatever small portion of God’s harvest we’re able to get done. And along with that, we’re also urged to pray fervently, just as our Lord did, for God to encourage more people, to come to join us in the field: people who understand, as you and I do, that following Christ, and doing God’s work in this world, can be very difficult, challenging, and risky; so, it’s best not done alone. Amen
Karen Pietsch (Facilitator) - Bethany Contemporary Worship
An informal time of prayer, discussion, sharing, and song around the Gospel reading Matthew 9:35 - 10:8
We sing: Blessed Be Your Name, Our God
PART 1 - 9:35-38 CALLED to PRAY – Read the Message and NTE versions (below).
Q: Reflect - what stands out? Notice what Jesus did, felt, said, etc.
Jesus went around and he didn’t hide away, he didn’t just set himself up and expect people to come to him - he went where people were at.
[*] Teaching: announcing good news of the Kingdom. He was communicating, sharing, engaging, and connecting with people.
[*] Healing: sickness and disease, caring, signs of the kingdom
[*] Compassion: felt sorry for, heart for the people.
[*] Said there’s much work & few to do it.
[*] PRAY to the Master: God’s responsibility to send & ours is to pray.
About Praying For The Harvest
[*] Flows out of love and God/Jesus’ love for all.
[*] We pray, are open to his love, affection, to guidance, and action of the HS.
[*] The harvest isn’t just an overseas mission it’s also on the doorstep, all around and we are in the middle of it.
[*] List of needs in Bulletin - pray at home, groups, etc.
[*] Listen for Abba Father’s heart, pray as Holy Spirit directs.
[*] That your eyes and heart will be open and alert to those around in day-to-day life, pray for and with others.
We Sing: The Potters Hand
PRAY together: Consider the ripe harvest all around us: who/what situation are you being called to pray for? Pray now with someone alongside (or pray quietly alone) e.g., bulletin points or other concerns the Holy Spirit places on your heart and mind…….
PART 2 - 10:1-8 SENT to HEAL - Read the Message and NTE versions (below).
Jesus:
Called disciples to him.
Gave authority - cast out unclean spirits, heal every disease and sickness.
(Disciples were sent for a specific time to Israel first, the Gentiles were later) applies to us now, don’t ignore those in our own community.
Disciples were named which is a reminder to us that Jesus knows you by name, it’s a personal relationship.
Instructed them Go, and as you go - on the way/as you live each day.
Declare that the kingdom of heaven is arriving.
Heal the sick.
Raise the dead.
Cleanse, and cast out demons.
Q: This is quite confronting in many ways. We believe God works miracles but wonder how Jesus’ instructions apply to us. What might this look like for us?
Summary:
[*] The harvest is all around - people with “bruised and hurt lives”.
[*] We begin with PRAYER.
[*] Being sent out is all about living out the Good News of God’s Kingdom, reflecting God’s image to those around us.
[*] Healing can be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual.
[*] Jesus is the Healer.
[*] We are sent by God’s grace, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
[*] Jesus is sending us all as healers and restorers, people who bring life and hope.
We begin this ministry of healing by praying for one another.
Anointing with oil is offered for any who would like to receive this.
We sing: Always
The Message – Matthew 9:35 - 10:8
35-38 Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”
10 1-4 The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them the power to kick out the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives. This is the list of the twelve he sent:
Simon (they called him Peter, or “Rock”),
Andrew, his brother
James, Zebedee’s son
John, his brother,
Philip
Bartholomew
Thomas
Matthew, the tax man
James, son of Alphaeus
Thaddaeus
Simon, the Canaanite
Judas Iscariot (who later turned on him)
5-8 Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge: “Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighbourhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.
New Testament for Everyone - Matthew 9:35 - 10:8
35 Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, announcing the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he felt deeply sorry for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, ‘There’s plenty of harvest to be had, but not many workers! 38 So pray the master of the harvest to send more workers to harvest his fields!’
10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal every disease and every sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles. First, Simon, who is called Peter (‘the rock’), and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector, James, son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananaean; and Judas Iscariot (who betrayed him).
5 Jesus sent these Twelve off with these instructions.
‘Don’t go into Gentile territory,’ he said, ‘and don’t go into a Samaritan town. 6 Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, declare publicly that the kingdom of heaven has arrived. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse people with skin diseases, cast out demons.
‘It was all free when you got it; make sure it’s free when you give it’.
Genesis 18:1-15 (21:1-7) The Lord appears to Abraham to announce the birth of Isaac
Romans 6:1b-11 Dead to sin, but alive to Christ
Matthew 9:35-10:8(9-23) Jesus sends out the Twelve
Pastor David Gogoll - Pentecost 23 Spirit Inspired Speech (Spirit Inspired Voices)
Today is Pentecost, the fiftieth day of Easter. Ten days ago we celebrated Ascension, remembering how Jesus was taken to his Father’s side in heaven. Before Jesus left he reminded his disciples of his promise to send another Paraclete/advocate/helper/counsellor - the Holy Spirit to them. At Pentecost ten days after Jesus ascends to heaven the Holy Spirit descends, and the promised Holy Spirit comes to the disciples gathered in Jerusalem.
Jesus left before the Holy Spirit came. Sometimes one thing has to happen before another can. For example - We have to hear before we can speak. Does that sound right? How does what we hear relate to or determine what we say or speak? We all have an accent, is it genetic, something we’re born with or is it environmental, something we learn? It’s environmental, our accent, how our speech sounds, is directly related to the speech sounds we hear as a child.
It’s not just our accent, in other ways the way we speak is related to what we hear. Can you think of some examples such as gentle speech, rough speech, good use of language?
Speech is a powerful medium and today I’ve chosen the theme Spirit inspired speech.
· - Who has Spirit-inspired speech?
· - Do we have Spirit-inspired speech? How can we tell?
· - What does Spirit-inspired speech sound like? Does it have a particular accent? Who do Spirit-inspired speakers sound like? Surely they should sound like - Jesus!
· - What is the tone of Spirit-inspired speech?
· - What is the content of Spirit-inspired speech? Jesus!
· - What is the intent / the outcome of Spirit-inspired speech? For people to believe in Jesus.
Think about the day of Pentecost. Once the mighty wind had stopped and the tongues of fire had disappeared, what happened? Did Peter say, “Did you notice friends that the fire above my head was bigger than the fires above the rest of you?” No.
The disciples didn’t speak to each other but spoke to the assembled crowd. And what did they say? The crowd tells us what they were talking about, they were talking about God’s mighty works. The crowd said, “They’re speaking our languages, describing God’s mighty works!”
It’s no surprise because in Acts 1:8 we read that before Jesus ascended to heaven he said to his disciples; 8 ... “you’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; then you’ll tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.” CEV
Spirit inspired speakers talk about Jesus, they are Jesus’ witnesses.
In the Gospel reading today from John 7 we heard Jesus say, 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ 39 By this he meant the Spirit. In John chapter 4 Jesus meets a woman at a well in Samaria and says he’d give her living water / life-giving water. He also says to her; ‘Everyone who drinks this water (from the well) will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ 4:13f
Because the living water flowing within us is the same as the living water Jesus promised the woman then we are a source of living water for those who are thirsty.
This living water, the work of the Holy Spirit, flowing within us leads to speech, Spirit Inspired Speech! Spirit-inspired lives.
Jesus is the one who satisfies thirst but those who have their thirst satisfied by Jesus have rivers of water flowing deep in them, and are able to satisfy the thirst of others.
When we’ve heard and know how much we’re loved, we can share that love with others. When we know Jesus is with us and loves us, we can share the good news of Jesus’ love with others. We’re blessed to be a blessing. Forgiven to be forgiving. Accepted to be accepting. Loved to be loving.
Our words and actions are empowered by the Holy Spirit, and not only our words but also the hearing of those with whom we talk.
Pentecost Sunday affirms the Holy Spirit is at work in each of us. Maybe the Spirit is inspiring our listening and thinking, so we’ll know about the love of God, the love Jesus has for each of us, or when we know that’s true then inspiring our speaking so we can tell others about the wonderful life of Jesus and the wonderful works of God.
In the third season of the series about Jesus’ life called “The Chosen”, (you can find it on YouTube or download The Chosen App) Thomas is in love with Ramah. When Jesus sends the disciples out two by two he sends Thomas to the area where Ramah came from and where her father, Kafni lives. Thomas wants to ask Kafni if he can marry his daughter. Kafni is known to be a tough one. Thomas talks with Jesus about this double mission - one for Jesus and one for himself and Jesus said to Thomas, “Last I heard Kafni wasn’t a believer so while you’re making a pitch for yourself can you put in a good word for me.” Can we put in a good word for Jesus?”
On May 21st at Tabor's service, we were pleased to welcome Gavin and Lynette Luke as guest speakers.
They shared their mission work in Papua New Guinea, particularly for Gama Lutheran School near Goroka in the Eastern Highlands Province and Ialibu Lutheran School in the Southern Highlands Province, also Victory Lutheran Church at Ialibu and the local hospital.
They were inspired by Pastor Len Tscharke and his wife Claire who spent many years working in PNG and were the first missionaries to the people of Ialibu. Both have travelled with Len and Claire when they visited PNG and later with Len and Claire's son and grandchildren and others.
Their current mission is to send containers of goods to these places with school and medical aids donated by people and schools in South Australia.
They connect with leaders in these areas and are aware of the needs and are able to liaise with those willing to donate these goods. However, the cost of sending each container has increased dramatically since Covid so any monetary donations are gratefully accepted.
Should you wish to donate to a mission in PNG in this way, here are the details through LLL:
The Tscharke PNG Fellowship
BSB 704942
Account No. 100992943
Theme How Jesus Irresistible Love Leads To Intimacy.
Gospel Reading John 17:1-19
Gospel Reading John 14; 15-21
Theme;The Spirit of truth works God's will in us.
Recognizing Who You Are - 1 Peter 2: 9, 10
But you are God's chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into his marvellous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things he has done. The Scriptures say, “Once you were nobody. Now you are God's people. At one time no one had mercy on you. Now God has treated you with kindness.”
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What do you think of yourself? Do you have the confidence to tell others what you feel and believe? Or has your life been one of not believing you’re good enough to count?
Too many people have spent their lives feeling they don’t belong and their opinions don’t matter.
This may have come from childhood experiences when you weren’t the one chosen first, when however hard you worked you didn’t get the prize and others always seemed to do better than you; when people criticized the things you did, even though it was your best. In fact you were the one overlooked when others were chosen. Or perhaps later in life when you knew you had the skills but you didn’t get the position or job you wanted.
A multitude of studies in the last forty years indicate that the way we see ourselves determines to a large degree the way we act and react in life. That one's self-perception, self-worth, and self-esteem tends to be a governing factor in our life. If we see ourselves as a loser, we end up to a large degree acting like a loser. If we see ourselves as a victim, we tend to let people victimize us. If we see ourselves as uncreative, we never come up with any creative ideas. But if we see ourselves as successful then we tend to repeat successes that we've had in the past. We set ourselves up. Our beliefs about ourselves determine our behaviour.
I know from experience how difficult it is trying to change your self-perception. I was painfully shy and lacked the confidence everyone else seemed to possess. One day I realised that if I didn’t change, I’d never amount to anything. So I asked God for help to stop wondering how others saw me and just give me the confidence to say and do what I believed. It wasn’t easy but it worked.
We need to look at ourselves from a different perspective. We need to hear from an informed and authorized source. A student in architecture entered a nationwide contest for building design. Judged by a panel of architects, her design received an Honourable Mention. She was utterly depressed. She believed hers was the best design. At lunch on the last day of the convention, she was sitting over her uneaten sandwich, looking at her creation. An old man was looking at it, too. At last he remarked, not knowing who had designed the building, "This one, I think, is the best of the lot." Judges had merely given her work Honourable Mention, but one old man had liked it. The young student went home elated. Why? Because the old man was Frank Lloyd Wright, probably the greatest architect of the time.
So when someone with authority tells us something positive we can count on it.
From our text there are 4 points to remember.
I. You are acceptable (v. 9, "a chosen race")
*God is the authority on who we are. He is our Creator. He gives us the correct information. He is the one we should be listening to about who we are. Peter, in the first chapter, tells us what God has done for us. In chapter two, he talks about what God says about us. *As believers in Jesus Christ, he informs us about who we are.
Eugene Petersen, in The Message, paraphrases "You are the ones chosen by God . . . from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted" (1 Peter 2:9-10, The Message). Most of us spend our entire lives trying to earn acceptance. We seek it from our parents, our peers, and our partners. We seek acceptance from the people we respect and the people we envy. Our desire to be accepted influences the kind of clothes we wear, the kind of car we drive, the kind of house we buy, and even the career we choose. Why are we so driven by acceptance? Because we love the feeling of acceptance. It tells us ‘we’ve made it’ in this world of challenges.
II. You are valuable
*When you’re chosen, and accepted, it raises your self-esteem.
Some parents on the East Coast of the US received a telephone call from their son during the Korean War. They were thrilled because they hadn't heard from him for many months. He said he was in San Francisco on his way home.
"Mum, I just wanted to let you know that I'm bringing a buddy home with me," he said. "He got hurt pretty bad, and he only has one eye, one arm, and one leg. I'd sure like him to live with us."
"Sure, son," his mother replied. "He sounds like a brave man. We can find room for him for a while."
"Mum, you don't understand. I want him to come live with us."
"Well, OK," she finally said. "We could try it for six months or so."
"No, Mum, I want him to stay always. He needs us. He's only got one eye, one arm, and one leg. He's really in bad shape."
By now his mother had lost her patience. "Son, you're being unrealistic about this. You're emotional because you've been in a war. That boy will be a drag on you and a constant problem for all of us. Be reasonable."
The phone clicked dead. The next day, the parents got a telegram: their son had committed suicide. A week later the parents received the body. They looked down with unspeakable sorrow at the remains of their son - who had one eye, one arm, and one leg.
Even with our disabilities, character flaws, shortcomings, insecurities, and immaturity, *God accepts us as we are. He invites us home. No conditions. Nor restrictions. He chooses us for his team. We don't have to get cleaned up or stitched up or made up to be accepted by God. He accepts us with one eye, one arm, one leg - feeling just like a piece of rubbish.
Value depends on what someone is willing to pay for something. A house, a car, a piece of art, is only worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Value also can depend on who has owned an item in the past. Auctions of items owned by celebrities often fetch so much more than their true value.
Based on these two criteria, what's your value? How much are you worth?
The Scriptures say, "You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him" (1 Cor. 7:23 NIV). Who owns you? What was paid for you? Christ owns you and paid for you with his life. God exchanged his own Son for you. The cross proves your value. God says I love you this much, as we look at Jesus’ outstretched arms. Jesus gave his life for us. Jesus went to the cross for us. Why? Because we are such incredible value and worth to him. One cannot begin to comprehend the incredible worth we are to Jesus. To Jesus, we are the most precious treasure in all the world.
III. You are capable (v. 9, "a royal priesthood")
Now that may sound a little scary to us. A priest? But Peter is saying that the two benefits that priests have are now available to everybody who is a believer in Jesus Christ.
One, *we have direct access to God. We pray to God. We confess our sins to him. We don't have to experience God through anyone else. We can go directly to God.
Two, we have a responsibility to minister to the needs of other people. Every Christian is a minister. *God says that you and I have been gifted for ministry to serve other people. We are "God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for us" (1 Peter 2:9, The Message).
The Latin word for priest means bridge. The priest is a bridge builder between God and man. Or as the old preacher said, "We are saved to serve." If we are not serving what in the world were we saved for?
Can you imagine the feelings of esteem when one realizes that God has entrusted his work to us?
IV. You are forgivable (v. 9-10)
In other words, you are forgiven. There are no three words that communicate self-worth better than; You are forgiven. God rubs out our sins. He doesn't keep reminding us of our sins like we often do. He judges us, “Not Guilty!”
When we come to Christ our sins are wiped out. We are no longer held accountable for them. They are forgotten. Gone. Erased. Treated as though they never existed.
So it is with God's mercy. When we confess our sins, Christ forgives us immediately and without charge. As if nothing had ever gone wrong.
So there you have it. The four pillars of self-esteem. I am acceptable. I am valuable. I am capable. I am forgivable. Because of what God has done for us we live, as our text says, "so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9). We are God's handiwork, his masterpiece, his creation. Therefore, we declare praise to him for who we are. Peter goes on to say, "Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy" (1 Peter 2:10). We are his own - we are chosen, we have worth, we are found capable, we are forgiven. When we have that then we know that the world's judging system just doesn't matter. We know we have worth. We are God's.
Family therapist Paul Faulkner tells of the man who set out to adopt a troubled teenage girl. One would question the father's logic. The girl was destructive, disobedient, and dishonest. She was determined to be this way; her behaviour was carrying out the false and erroneous thoughts she had of herself. One day she came home from school and ransacked the house looking for money. By the time he arrived, she was gone and the house was in shambles.
Upon hearing of her actions, friends urged him not to finalize the adoption. "Let her go," they said. "After all, she's not really your daughter." His response was simple. "Yes, I know. But I told her she was."
God, too, has told us that we are his children, if we trust and believe in him. We may rebel and abuse our rights and privileges, but God still tells us that we are his.
There’s a humorous story of a visit by the leader of a country to a nursing home. He entered the facility with his entourage and was received with delight by the elderly residents. As he went from person to person in the living area, he noticed a woman in a wheelchair who seemed rather disinterested. He didn’t want to offend someone who might be important to him in a future election so he approached her, smiled and patted her shoulder, and held her hand. She smiled back but said nothing. "Do you know who I am?" the man asked. "No," she replied, "but if you'll ask that lady at the nurses' station over there, she'll tell you."
Do you know who you are? If you ask Jesus he will tell you.
As believers in him, we are accepted, valued, capable, and forgiven.
Remember: Jesus loves you!
What more could we want?
Raelene Falland
Acknowledgment: Thanks to Rick Ezell (posted on Wednesday, January 01, 2014) for his ideas and words which I used.
Gospel reading Luke 7:36-50
Theme: The freeing wonder of forgiveness