Daily Bread

See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

No-one ever said being a Christian was easy.

In our modern, western version of Christianity we have detached the mission and ministry aspect of what it means to be a disciple, enabling us to live an easy life where our religion makes few demands on us. Our faith is 'personal' and nobody else's business, and our practices focus on self-betterment and our own 'salvation'.

Jesus clearly saw discipleship differently. A disciple was literally an apprentice of a rabbi, and the rabbi Jesus was sent by God into the world, therefore his disciples were also sent into the world.

We are disciples of Jesus.

We have a gospel or good news to proclaim and to which, through our lives, we bear witness — and this is the message and way of love.

Yesterday, I learned a new word — 'binfluencer' — the person on a UK street who is first to put their bins out such that everyone else follows suit! That made me giggle.

Christians are the original influencers and in this world there are many 'sinfluencers' but we must be 'winfluencers' as we seek to win people over through our message and displays of unconditional love.

We are a sent people and FAB is a sent church. Our culture is one of rampant individualism and consumerism at the expense of any who would dare get in the way. We are thorns in the side of culture as we seek to put God, others, and the environment first.

Make no mistake, if we are obedient to our rabbi Jesus, we too are being sent like sheep into the midst of wolves, so let us heed his words and be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Holy God
Through the power
of your Spirit living in me,
give me words to say
and opportunities to
demonstrate your
selfless love to a
broken and hurting world.
Please keep me
safe from harm
and give me wisdom.
Now and forever.