We are all ministers of the Gospel we have received and it should be our glory to deny ourselves for its sake. To deny ourselves for His great cause. That by doing so we might serve Christ and save souls. Our motivation to deny ourselves must be borne out of a zeal and love for His Gospel. It is within this selfless act of servanthood that we find the comfort and hope our soul is so often lacking in a world that has a new Ferguson every day. That latest school shooting. The latest Ebola outbreak. That latest election. The latest Grand Jury decision. The latest riots and looting. Somewhere in the middle there is our comfort and hope in a world spinning out of control and it is only found in denying ourselves for a cause greater than our own perceptions of what is important. Doing good was the study and business of the life of the Apostle Paul and we are called to the same life. We are called to the same denial. To the same comfort. To the same hope.
Yet we must remain watchful of the extremes. Upon relying on anything but Jesus Christ. It is important to note here what the commentary points out. Our errors and faults hurt others and disgrace the very Gospel we ought to proclaim. Ferguson Missouri is all about hurt right now. It is all about the extremes. The temptation is to weigh in carnally with our opinions not caring who those opinions drive away. The media tells us to line up on one side and accuse the other. Jesus tells us to stand in the gap and love both sides. That they are both our neighbor and we see them lying in a pool of their own blood on the side of the road. We can stand off to the other side and look all religious while engaging in the same prejudicial hate the world embraces. Or we can be the anti-hero. The Samaritan who denies himself to tend to the real wound that we always overlook. That wound is eternal in nature and the only balm that can heal it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, of which we are ministers. As Paul says in the key verses we are to do it all for the sake of the Gospel.
These are the times that test Christians. The devil wants us lined up with the world screaming at the top of our lungs so no one can hear the Gospel. I do not know what happened that fateful day in Ferguson Missouri. Neither do you. Neither does your favorite talking head. Neither does the Grand Jury. Michael Brown is dead and that is a human tragedy. Officer Darren Wilson's life is forever changed and that too is a tragedy. The real tragedy however continues to hang over the city, this country and this world. That tragedy is that sin has separated us from God and precious few are preaching reconciliation anymore. That there is a God who sacrificed His only Son for us. He died on Calvary for you and me. He died for everyone in this world. He died for Tehran. He died for Belfast. He died for Capetown. He died for Ferguson. Do not look upon that which God wants to save with contempt. We are all our neighbors. We are all Ferguson.
Reverend Anthony Wade - November 25, 2014
