Go and Tell

Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and proclaim his message in their cities. When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” Matthew 11:1-16 

One of the things that is hardest to watch in the church is when jealousy and competition rears their ugly heads. We are called to be people who humbly live and proclaim the works of God -healing, hope, new life, faith, freedom, abundance and love. The true leaders of the Jesus Movement can rejoice when they see another bringing the gifts of God to the people. We have each, lay and ordained alike, been given gifts from God to share with the world. As far as I can tell there is no time or room for jealousy and competition.

Jesus was done with his teaching and was sending the disciples out. He was challenged by John disciples and responded with the evidence, the evidence of God's love in the midst of the people. Sometimes we forget that we are disciples of the teacher rather than the teacher. Jesus tells us to go out to all the cities and share the good gifts that God has given us. These gifts are not of our own devising but true signs, true evidence of the presence of the living God.

Today, I ask God to help me live humbly and share all the gifts I have been given. May we not fall into jealousy and competition but be busy with proclaiming and sharing the good gifts of the living God.