Sabbath: Cross-cultural Missions
Read for This Week’s Study: John 4:4-30; Matt. 8:5-13; Mark 5:1-20; Matt. 15:21-28; Luke 17:11-19; John 12:20-32.
Memory Text:
(Matthew 12:18, NKJV).Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles
How interesting that Jesus spent so much of His earlier years in Galilee, known as Galilee of the Gentiles
(Matt. 4:15),
Image © Lars Justinen Goosalt.com
no doubt named because of the non-Jewish influence in the province. In this region, in Nazareth, Jesus spent the majority of His years before starting His public ministry. Thanks to its position, Nazareth was near major routes traveled by Roman army units, as well as merchant caravans. As a result, Jesus must have been in contact with non-Jews His whole early life (not to mention the time in Egypt).
After His rejection in Nazareth (see Luke 4:16-31), Jesus centered His ministry in the cosmopolitan Galilean city of Capernaum. Contacts with Gentiles and their world significantly impacted His ministry and teaching. Even though He focused on Israel, the wider world was His concern. During the more than three years of His ministry between His baptism and ascension, on at least six occasions Jesus had direct contact with persons from Gentile nations. We will look this week at the gospel accounts of these contacts.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 22.
(28)
As the Gospel is preached across the world its messengers encounter diverse cultures and are confronted by strange practices. While the light bearers look for common ground and make an effort to accommodate the harmless traditions of the people (1 Corinthians 9:20-22) there ought to be the consciousness that the cultures of this world are corrupt (James 4:4). In every worldly culture there are elements which work against Christian growth.
There is a modern or progressive view that the Bible is to be interpreted in the context of the prevailing culture and its message adapted/modified to suit its current audience. This really allows for private interpretations and opinions to guide the conscience (2 Peter 1:19-21) and for common culture to define Christian standards and godliness. Primitive godliness is thereby relegated to a relic of the past, suitable only for a museum.
However true Christians do not conform to worldly practices (Romans 12:2) or copy unholy habits, but adopt a heavenly culture marked by compassion, humility, godly politeness and sincere piety.
The faithful shun the coarse, pretentious, self-centered, and immodest elements of the world’s cultures, while cultivating the graces of godliness. They do not nurse their defects of character in a permissive society or spiritually lukewarm environment, but declare war on every tendency to sinfulness in themselves.
In the presence of extravagance and display and crude customs the messengers of eternal hope never sacrifice truth in order to identify with common culture; for this would only retard the process of sanctification.
Rather the bearers of the Good News of salvation call the citizens of the world from their impure cultures to embrace a higher and holier culture, whose adherents are covered with the adornment of a meek, quiet and sweet spirit (1 Peter 3:4).
I believe that if we want to witness to another culture we need to be aware of how much the true essence of the Good News has been affected by my culture.
I believe that our group at SSNet are cross cultural, maybe we can share what we have experienced: what aspects of the Good News are essential and what are only cultural?
Jesus wants men and women ready to stand for God without doubts or fear, the fear that holds people back; no matter what, if it is right then know what to do! No negotiation with sin, neither entertaining it. Faithful to Him and He will bless you and you will see God working powerfully in your life, Ask for anything in prayer, and He will move mountains for you!
The most appropriate way to understand a culture that is foreign is through Incarnation into that culture. This calls for a suspension of your own culture upon the other, this includes suspension of judgement. The best example of this kind of Incarnation is that of Christ.He came as a helpless babe, and this is how we are to present ourselves for 'Incarnation'.
Christ i will do thy work,take me.
I am truly glad that Christ came to seek those who were lost. If he had not come to be the second Adam we who are in this world would be eternally lost. Jesus came to redeem the world to himself, those who except the gospel message share as the woman at the well did come see a man who told me every thing I did. Those who reject him will see the Son of Man coming on the cloud as every eye will see him. Jesus came to show us the Father love on earth that we who were a far off from the Father may now have excess to him by the blood of righteousness.
Christ came to show us the way back home. Praise the Father for giving us his Son that we may have a right to the tree of life. For this is true he who has the Son has the Father and Eternal Life.
Want to know, why was Jesus ministry significantly impacted by the Gentiles and their world?
Oscar, I believe that Jesus' interactions with Gentiles showed that he loved them as well as the Jews and that His Mission was for the whole world.
Last Sabbath I was kindly invited by a good friend to celebrate with mass, prayer and singing for the little statue that represents Child Jesus. An elaborate meal was prepared in foresight so it would be safe for me to eat. I had to kindly decline the invitation since you already know the reasons. I still question myself if an opportunity to do mission was missed because of my principle?
I believe that God can use your declined invite as a silent testimony of your faith
May good Lord lead me through until He comes to take me home.Alone I can,t withstand the storms of life.