Sabbath: Jesus on Community Outreach
Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 4:16-19, Luke 10:25-37, Matt. 5:13, Isa. 2:8, John 4:35-38, Matt. 13:3-9.
Memory Text: “Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people” (Matthew 4:23, NKJV).
Image © Lars Justinen Goodsalt.com
Robert Louis Stevenson, best known for his adventure story Treasure Island, had been a sickly boy who couldn’t go to school regularly. Finally his parents hired a teacher to teach him and a nanny to help with his personal needs. One night when his nanny came to check on him before he went to bed, he was out of bed, and his hands and nose were pressed against the window. His nanny firmly told him to get back in bed before he got a chill.
Robert said to her, “Come to the window, and see what I’m seeing.”
The nanny came to see. Down below, on the street, there was a lamplighter lighting the streetlights. “Look,” said Robert, “a man is poking holes in the darkness!”-Margaret Davis, Fear Not! Is There Anything Too Hard for God? (Aspect Books, 2011), p. 332.
We’ve seen a bit of what the Old Testament said about helping those in need. We are now going to look at what the New Testament says, and what better place to start than with Jesus? And one of Jesus’ well-known teachings is that we are to be “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). In so doing, we reflect Jesus, the True Light of the world (John 8:12). Jesus’ teachings, which He modeled in His own earthly ministry, provide powerful instructions concerning how we, through Him, can poke holes in the darkness.
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 30.
(28)
We have a choice: We can either curse the darkness or else engage in "poking holes in the darkness!" I will rather choose the second option!
Jesus did a great job on community outreach which we still enjoy reading even today , its our obligation to do the same where ever we go and in everything we do
Albert what is your concept of the job Christ did re community outreach?
Many of us will never preach a sermon. We find it difficult to even leave our seat to give a testimony in church. This however we can do. Be a helper in our community. Be kind, loving and hospitable to everyone we meet, as JESUS WOULD HAVE US DO. We are called to preach CHRIST. And we can do so by how we live.
And Luke 4:16 says that Jesus stood up to "read" the word. We are not all called to preach, but we may read and share the word of God with each other.
I think it is sad, that we think we have to keep the pew warm!!!! we need to learn to get out of our pew and speak, get out of our comfort zone!!!! There are so many things we can do "in" church, take the load off someone else for the day, step up and do your part to help out, then God can move you out to the community. First we have to admit we need to get out of the comfort zone, what I call the back pew in my church.
One of the special talents that often goes un-noticed is being a good listener. Sometimes we think that in order to spread the Gospel we have to say something, but in today's society finding a good listener is often hard.
In my teaching days students would come to me and ask me how to solve a (maths) problem. I would often start the discussion by asking them to explain the problem to me. Often they would get half way through the explanation and would suddenly say, "Oh, I see how to do it now. Thank you for helping me." And I have not said a word.
We hear a lot about learning preaching and public speaking skills, but I believe that we should spend much more time developing good listening skills.
It reminds me of the pithy saying, "Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary". It may be an oversimplification, but it's making a point.
Very tru dat pipo fear to give out testimonies bt sm tymz it depends on da activeness of da church leaders.These ends pipo are nt given chance to say or express wat ey witnessed thru their week....thanx 4 da post.uganda
Jesus said"i am the light of the world".(Jn8:12)Then he said "You are the light of the world." Jesus is the source of light ,and to get light from him to light up the world as this street lighter,we should be connected to the source.As the moon"absorbes"it's light from the sun then' reflects it to the earth so are God's people to reflect God's light to a world which is"covered with gross darkness "isa60:2.More than ever the world is in need of great light.
We all know what the light is. Paul makes it clear: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6). And we know God's glory is His character.
"The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory" {COL 415.5}.
"The light of the Sun of Righteousness is to shine forth in good works---in words of truth and deeds of holiness" {COL 416.1}.
Sure ,we can be connected to the sourse of light who is holy spirit through prayers and bible study.Let not neglect this exercises for they are the foundation of the christian strengh.Amen
Jesus, in His time here was very focused on the mission at hand. He said "I am the Way, the Truth and the life" and He consistently spoke on the way, the truth and the life found only in and through Himself.
He was good and caring, honest and truthful, patient and kind.
These are traits that all believers should desire..
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
4:23-25 Wherever Christ went, he confirmed his Divine mission by miracles, which were emblems of the healing power of his doctrine, and the influences of the Spirit which accompanied it. We do not now find the Saviour's miraculous healing power in our bodies; but if we are cured by medicine, the praise is equally his. Three general words are here used. He healed every sickness or disease; none was too bad; none too hard, for Christ to heal with a word. Three diseases are named; the palsy, which is the greatest weakness of the body; lunacy, which is the greatest malady of the mind; and possession of the devil, which is the greatest misery and calamity of both; yet Christ healed all, and by thus curing bodily diseases, showed that his great errand into the world was to cure spiritual maladies. Sin is the sickness, disease, and torment of the soul: Christ came to take away sin, and so to heal the soul
According to our memory text in Matthew 4:23, Jesus was busy in Galilee, teaching, preaching and healing all kinds of sickness and disease. Resulting from His social interaction with the community they were more receptive to Him spiritually. Meeting the social needs of people gives them, at least, a sense of obligation to listen to the spiritual word, thus creating an avenue for the word to impact their lives. The physical and spiritual health of our community should improve once we are busy in them like Jesus did in Galilee.
It was probably just a slip of the pen where you wrote: " ... gives them, at least, a sense of obligation to listen to the spiritual word ...".
On reflection I think that Jesus genuine concern and friendship for people left them with a sense of wanting more of what he offered. True - there were "cargo-cultists" in his day as well, but Jesus became a genuine friend to many during lifetime and it was that sense of friendship that encouraged, rather than obligated them to want to hear more.
I think that perhaps "obligation" can be viewed in a good sense, in the same way that "compulsion" can be viewed in a good sense.
"Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in". (Luke 14:23 KJV)
When Jesus taught the lesson about compelling people "to come in", Augustine (in the 300's-400's A.D.) took this to mean that the church should force people into Christianity. Obviously he was in serious error. Worldly force has no rightful place in the church, none at all.
Love is to be made the "compelling" power... not aggression, not attack. In the same way, people can feel "obliged" to do something when it is on their hearts to do it. If conviction has brought to their hearts a sense of Christian "duty", then they feel that they "must" do it.
What are some examples of this compelling power? Abraham urging the travelers to rest and refresh themselves while he served. Lot, who urged the men to abide in his home. The Shunamite woman who urged Elisha to rest and be refreshed in her home. The Samaritan who brought relief to the robbed man left to die alone. Paul, who after his conversion felt obligated to bring the peace and joy of Christ to weary sinners everywhere. Etc. (This is somewhat of a guess, but due to the faith Noah exhibited, I believe he urged as eloquently as anyone for his neighbors to find passage on the ark.)
We have something for the weary don't we? If not, perhaps we need to find it ourselves and then we will be as these hospitable examples who served others.
Also, the church of this age has been given the gift of healing through health reform, which is to "lessen the suffering of the world and purify the church" if followed faithfully. Many are open to this wonderful message of regeneration for which there is much need. Any who have benefited from this message will desire to share it with as many as possible.
Our role as Servants of God is to bring light(truth) to the darkness of error that most exist in. If we have the True Light ourselves, we have something to impart and according to the gift given, each has a way to impart it to others. There is plenty of darkness around us everywhere. The Truth we have will bring Peace to all who receive it.
Hi Stewart:
You make a compelling case for "obligation" to be viewed in a good sense!
However, the mention of obligation reminded me of an EGW quotation: "The man who attempts to keep the commandments of God from a sense of obligation merely—because he is required to do so—will never enter into the joy of obedience. He does not obey. . . The essence of all righteousness is loyalty to our Redeemer. This will lead us to do right because it is right—because right doing is pleasing to God." --- {COL 97.3}
Thank you Pramod.
🙂