THE FIRST MISSION TRIP
|
Mission work can often seem daunting.
It seems Jesus knew that, and He took care to introduce His disciples to it step by step. After they had spent some time with Him, listening, watching, and learning how He interacted with people, He sent them out on a first training run. It was limited to the towns of Israel, which meant people, language, and a culture they were familiar with as a place to start. The message that Jesus gave them was simple—“The kingdom of heaven has come near.” And this was then to be enacted by their work in helping and healing the people in the villages and towns they visited. This was a practical proclamation of the good news of the kingdom of God.
When people asked who had sent them, the disciples would tell the story of Jesus, the teacher who had changed their lives and who they were increasingly convinced was the Messiah. Mission work need not be daunting. It does not have to begin on a large scale or with international travel. We do not have to preach a complicated sermon series or lead in-depth Bible studies. It can begin in our neighborhood, community, or city, listening to people, helping and healing where we can, and doing so in the name of Jesus, whose kingdom we proclaim by our lives, our deeds, and our words. In short, we share freely from what has been so freely given to us. When we have experienced healing, hope, and courage, this is what we can offer to others, whether it is by how we serve with generosity and love or by the story we tell of how God gave us those in our own lives.
