A young girl woke up one night frightened, convinced there were monsters and spooky creatures in her room. Terrified she ran to her parents’ bedroom. Her mother took her back to her room, gave her a long hug and said “you are safe here. You don’t have to be afraid. After I leave you, you won’t be alone in this room. God will be here with you.” The girl replied I know that God will be here, but I need someone in this room who have some skin!
Skin is tangible, Skin is relatable, Skin can embrace and comfort.
It is true and evident that we all want someone we can hold on to. Like the child, it is human nature to rely on someone. But today the question I want to ask all of us is-
Are we bold enough to be there for someone?
Are we willing to take risks in our life for others goodness?
Are we confident to support others for their development in their life?
Are we courageous to liberate our fellow human from their oppressions or from their struggles?
we all want someone we can hold onto.
Sometimes God can seem as He did for the little girl, like not enough. We want a God we can touch and feel. Just like Thomas we want a God we can touch with our hands.
So, God gave Jesus the Messiah for us who can deliver us, teach us and lead us into God’s way.
We can see this in 2 ways.
1. Be bold in our life.
As we heard the Old Testament reading, we see God Calls or reassures the identity of the Israel as God’s Servant. In verse 9 we see “you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “you are my servant, I have chosen you”. The whole book of Isaiah revolves around a central theme- “about the servanthood of God’s chosen people” through whom the saviourhood is revealed to the whole world. And here this particular verse speaks about the boldness that is needed for them in their life.
Israel is not good people even though they had been chosen, they had been called from the farthest corners. They failed to be good people of God. They failed to be the good servant of God. That’s why we see them in their bondage under nations. But still they never failed to break God’s heart and love because of their hardened heart. Now this is a question to us-
Do we really trust in God?
Are we bold enough to obey God’s commandments?
Do we have the will to follow God’s words?
Have we ever thought what would Jesus do in the situations?
No!! We do not
Here the child does not trust God and even the words of her mother. And asks for a skin to be with her. Just like her, the Israel nation asked a king when God liberated them, when God made them as a nation, when God made them as His chosen people. 1 Samuel 8:4-22. That’s how they got a king soul.
A good servanthood is trusting his master, believing him, obeying him.
We all know the parable of talents Matthew 25:14-30 a man going on a journey summoned his servants and gave his properties according to their ability. A good servant doubled his property but one servant because of his untrust, unfaith towards his master he disobeyed him. Lack of trust and believe lead him to astray.
So, we as a people of God. If we Trust and Believe Him in our life and during our troubles, we will be bold in our life.
2. Be bold for others.
As a servant of God Jesus teach us a different role in servanthood not just being bold in our life but to be bold for others. In Old Testament we see the teaching is to live a life according to Yahweh God. But in New Testament Jesus teach us the Teaching of the Old Testament what really God meant to them. When Jesus started his ministry, his teachings was based on the Kingdom of God. In Luke 17:21 we see Jesus said the Kingdom of God is among you.
Now what is Kingdom of God?
Is there any change in the kingdom of God in Old Testament and Kingdom of God in New Testament?
Definitely no there is no change in the Testaments, Our God is a God who does not change. Our God is the God of gods and Lord of lords.
In Old Testament God called Israel to be holy in Deuteronomy 7:11 we see He call them to observe his laws and virtues diligently. And when we see Deuteronomy 15 and Leviticus 25, we can see their responsibilities concerning the holy nation.
But in New Testament Jesus made all the law and virtues more crucial. For example
Deuteronomy 10:19
You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt
And in Leviticus 19:18
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
But Jesus made it more definite, clearer and more undeniable.
But the people of Israel did not love their neighbor as themselves and never obeyed God’s words, commandments and laws.
Jesus’s ministry was among the poor, oppressed and marginalized so to uplift them and love them.
Jesus lived the life of a chosen people what God called them for. And showed us the way, the light that should be on this earth.
But the question is,
Are we really the way and the light of Jesus, what Jesus taught us to be?
Are we really bolding enough to support others in their life like Jesus in their sufferings.
From the evening till the midnight a boy travelled with his mouth parched with thirst; but nowhere could he get drinking water on the way. Every time people either pointed to the filthy water or asked them to go away. This made the boy to question himself about his situation and it was first rude and shattering shock for the boy. That day he knew that he belonged to a family that was untouchable, degraded to drink and eat filthy things. Reality of his life made him to be bold against the cruelty and to fight against injustice that caused his people to suffer. He wrote the law of Indian Constitution which paves the way for his people to live in dignity equality and peace. Till today he is called as Babasaheb Ambedkar.
When we see the Gospel reading Matthew 10: 26 – 33 we see that Teacher and disciple; master and servant stand together because of their respective responsibility and allegiance. Jesus and his chosen disciples stand pre-eminently together. Here Jesus instructs them to extend his ministry throughout the world with the same word and deeds that characterized the Kingdom of God. But if Jesus suffers hostility and rejection, so must his disciples we be prepared for the same. It is undeniable truth that discipleship to Jesus and witness to the gospel come with unavoidable suffering.
Fear – it’s natural in the face of persecution. Wherever the gospel of Kingdom is proclaimed, there will be opposition. When that opposition escalates into open hostility the disciples should not be afraid. The good deeds of the disciples must be continued to be there for the people and the good news must be proclaimed. Surely God who knows the numbers of hairs on a person’s head, definitely God will take care for His disciple.
So, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ it is our call to be bold in our life and to be bold for the people who are suppressed. Jesus’s ministry was towards the people who are poor, marginalized and suffered. It was against the dominating authority. So as a disciple of Jesus let us be Bold in our life and be willing to take risks for our God in our life.
-Amen
