Christians Won't Like This Devotional Thought
“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 neighborhood. 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.
Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.
“When you enter a town or village, don’t insist on staying in a luxury inn. Get a modest place with some modest people, and be content there until you leave.
Jesus Tells the Disciples to Stay Home
There is a generation of Christians that **probably** doesn’t like this passage because it does nothing for their Instagram profile.
Jesus is telling his disciples to do the least glamorous thing imaginable:
LOVE THE PEOPLE IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD.
That’s right. Go ahead and read that again.
Right after performing a bunch of healings and calling new disciples, Jesus tells those following him to “Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. 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.”
Again, he’s basically saying:
LOVE IS AN ACTION. GO DEMONSTRATE THE REALITY OF GOD’S KINGDOM BY HELPING PEOPLE IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD.
And just when they start to push back and say, “Well, we don’t have the proper training! I’m not an ordained minister! I didn’t go to seminary” Jesus says to them, “You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment.”
So, basically, Jesus is saying:
STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND GO LOVE THE PEOPLE IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD.
We Should Love the People Around Us Better
It’s difficult for me to read this and not feel that slight twinge of conviction. You know, that uncomfortable sinking feeling in your gut that makes you want to stop reading this and head back over to Facebook?
(Yeah. I get that, too.)
It’s difficult for me to read this and not think about our current social climate and how I’ve ignored the tears, pain, and anguish of those in my own backyard who are crying out for justice.
I’ve ignored them because I’d rather be comfortable in my own bubble of reality.
Or like so many Christians in today’s world, and much like the disciples in Jesus’ day, I’d rather hop on a plane to the other side of the world to help people in a developing country instead of those in my own neighborhood with… the exact same problems.
But Jesus doesn’t tell his disciples to travel to South America and “preach the gospel.” No. Jesus tells his disciples to hit the streets in their own neighborhood.
It’s the perfect training ground.
Maybe I should hit the streets here, too. Maybe you should. Perhaps we all should, eh?
May we begin today. We’ve made enough excuses.
Matt Snyder is the Director of Communications at First Baptist Decatur. His holds a M.Div. from McAfee School of Theology and B.A. in Religion and Philosophy from Friends University. Matt is also a freelance copywriter and content marketing specialist. You can learn more about his work at CopywriterCreative.com