I went to the Urban Poverty bible study this morning on Luke 10, where Jesus sends the people out to tell the villages that the Kingdom of God is near. Definitely a passage that I would glance over when I read the bible. Now I love this passage. This is after Jesus gave the "if you don't leave your father when he is dying for me, you are not fit for this kingdom." The Christ followers after hearing that are the ones that go out to the cities.
They go. They waste no time. The harvest is plentiful, Jesus promises. How often do I think I don't know who to go to, that no one is out there. But Jesus promises, the harvest is plentiful. Everyone wants to know meaning, to know life, to have purpose, to experience shalom. I will define shalom as more than peace, it is when everything is right with everything. Shalom among people is more than a peace that people are not fighting, but the people are RIGHT with each other, and the people treat each other well, and everything seems to be in place.
We bring the news that the kingdom of God is coming, where shalom will be brought everywhere. We have the honor to bring this great news. It is with great honor that we bear this fantastic news. Jesus doesn't need us to give the message, but he allows us to be a part of it and witness what "many prophets and kings desired to see."
The 72 went out and brought shalom on the cities they went to. They healed sick, they bring relationships, they bring hope.
It says that Jesus hides things from the wise and understanding, but reveals them to the children. What does he hide? I think he hides that this shalom, and the bringing of the shalom is the most valuable thing we can be a part of. That the rich will never be able to use their money to make everything fit into place.
Today, I was blessed to be able to serve at Urbana. I helped pack boxes for 32,000 health kits that were to be sent to Swaziland. Even though one might say I feel good because I helped so many people, I think there is more than that. It is the passage in the works.
I felt so blessed that I even able to be a part of it. That God didn't need me to move those boxes, nor did the caretakers need those supplies if God just healed everyone. But instead, he allows us to partake in this process of seeing the Kingdom of God come near, seeing Shalom happen in Swaziland, and I was so blessed. So so blessed. I experienced more joy tonight than I think any job could, any amount of money could bring me.
The sense of accomplishment of simply putting one filled box into the container that was to be shipped to Swaziland was greater than I've ever gotten from anything academic in college.
I want to see shalom come. I want to be a part of it.
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