The two “greatest”
commandments from God, in short are:
Love God with all your
heart
Love your neighbor as
yourself
Jesus taught, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments”
Matthew 22:36-40
Not unrelated, is the
Gospel, the revelation of how God made it possible for mankind to be reconciled
to Him, through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Those who are “saved”
and are followers of Jesus Christ (Christians) owe a debt to God for this reconciliation
and salvation that provides for eternal life in Heaven.
Surprisingly, there is
some controversy regarding the “obligation” of Christians to “evangelize” or
“preach the gospel”. The Apostle James wrote: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to
look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep
oneself from being polluted by the world” James 1:27
Of course, the most
often quoted justification for Christians to evangelize is generally known as
the “Great Commission”, written in Matthew 28:16-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you.” This commandment was given by Christ as his last instruction to
the “eleven” disciples just before his ascension. Many Christians assume this
to be an instruction that is “inherited” by all Christians today.
On
the other hand, it is well known and understood that the “Body of Christ” has
many parts and not all Christians have the “gift” of evangelism. So
perhaps the most practical instruction is from Saint Francis to “Preach the Gospel at all times. When
necessary, use words.” (There is some dispute as to whether Francis
actually said these words exactly. Some claim that his words were “convert the
world by obedience to the Holy Rule rather by example than by word.”)
Living your life in a
way that honors God and is an example to others is consistent with the first
commandment as well as St. Francis’s advice. And, proclaiming the Gospel to
others, by deed and words is consistent with the second commandment. How
could a Christian in good conscience withhold such glorious information from
their “neighbor” who they are commanded to love?
Next comes the reality
of the ugly side of living in a world that prefers to ignore or even rebel
against this “glorious” information.
For those who choose
to actively proclaim the Gospel in deeds and words one must be
reminded of the instructions that Jesus gave to his disciples that he had “sent
out” to preach…”And if any place will not
welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as
a testimony against them” Mark 6:11.
After
a time, you will have to decide to continue your efforts with a certain group
or in a certain place, or to leave and move on. Part of that decision
will be related to your response to rejection and/or disparaging remarks made
about you or what you are “teaching”.
I
find that in the minds of many, the concepts of forgiveness and love are
misunderstood. The “new age” of humanism tends to teach that forgiveness is a
requirement of being a loving and “good” person. After all, it is written that
we are to “forgive as God forgives us”.
In
the Lord’s Prayer, we ask that God “forgive our debts as we forgive our
debtors”.
So,
walking away and shaking the dust off our feet seems a bit harsh and
unforgiving. Is it counter to the command to “Love thy Neighbor”?
As is
written in Luke 17:3-4, God does not promise forgiveness to those of us
who are stubborn, self-righteous and who and refuse to repent. God requires
repentance and so must we. Love is unconditional---Forgiveness is NOT.
So,
you have given “your all” to a group, doing your best to teach them, influence
them, and guide them in the hope that some, if not all will benefit from your
“Preaching of the Gospel”. And, they have ignored and perhaps rejected
you and your message. Often, it is time to move on.
Don’t
be discouraged.
There
are two parables taught by Jesus that are important to remember. Both are
written in the Gospel of Mark :
Parable
of the Sower
and
Parable
of Growing Seed
Mark
4:1-20 is the Parable of the Sower---a story illustrating that the “seed”
of the Gospel when “planted” can fail to grow because the “soil” is not
fertile. In other words, sometimes our efforts will not produce the desired
results.
Mark
4:26-29 is the Parable of the Growing Seed---a story illustrating that God
alone is in charge of making the seed grow into a mature plant, ready for
harvest.
The
lesson here is that many of us will be called to sow the seed of the Gospel
everywhere, but what happens afterward is according to God’s will and action,
and many times it will be another who is called to “water and nurture” the
plant, with even another called to “harvest”.
The
Christian Mission is to be obedient and honor our debt and show our gratitude
that we owe to God for his Love and Grace. This requires us to keep planting
and seeking his guidance through prayer to carry out his will on earth as
Ambassadors for Christ.
