"INCREASE OUR FAITH!" ~Luke 17:5
Sunday night we saw the disciples reaction to Jesus' teaching concerning forgiveness and their attitudes so that those wanting to come to Christ would not be intimidated or swayed away. The reaction and cry to "increase our faith" had very little to do due to lacking, rather, it had to do with the reality that these teachings were so utterly contrary to any teaching, from any other Rabbi they had ever heard! These teachings were radical...in every sense of the word. Christ was emphasizing the reality of the kingdom, that was not a reality to any of His contemporaries, that it was not a matter of HOW much faith, but the ONE in whom they put their faith in. It was not the amount of faith, but the exercise of faith that mattered!
Do you get caught up in the amount of faith? Are you constantly trying to pin down 'your' theology, and a 'proper' defense of the faith? Are you constantly trying to fill your mind with more and more information and bible knowledge?
Inherently there is nothing wrong in these things. In fact applying and exercising faith won't go very far without these elements. But a slippery slope may be found as these elements take center stage over living your faith out. If we have all the bible knowledge, a concrete and full proof defense of Christianity, and an eloquently crafted theology, but have no clue of how to exercise any of these so that others see Christ we are missing out.
Jesus reached out to people. His teachings and ministry was revolutionary in so many ways, largely because he did not care of social stigma or others opinions. Simply, His ministry was revolutionary because He connected with people in simple yet profound ways that changed lives, one way or another, always proclaiming the truth and love of the Father.
Challenge yourself this week to find creative ways to reach and connect those "sinners" and "unsaved" in and around your life. Proclaim Christ, certainly, but challenge yourself to show Him first, by your actions...embody Him. Start a revolution, do things differently than what might be deemed 'traditional', or even dare I say, 'acceptable.'
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