Mission Possible
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:16-19, 21)
Jesus understood his mission: bring good news to the poor, freedom to the oppressed, and sight to the blind. Because Jesus knew who he was and what he was meant to accomplish, he was never swayed by controversy or criticism. He lived his life in service to his mission - God's mission.
We tend to live our lives bouncing from interest to interest, from task to task hoping to "find ourselves" and eventually land on the thing that males us happy. But in reality, our mission is Jesus' mission. We are the body of Christ, so our mission is to work to improve the lives of those who are economically and socially poor, dismantle unjust systems that oppress - including honestly facing the ways we benefit from those systems -, open blinded eyes by speaking truth to power, especially on behalf of the voiceless, and to live in ways that proclaim a new order that seeks to serve others rather than self.
Like Jesus' mission, ours (should we choose to accept it) is to use all that we are to serve one another - to feel and respond to the ache that hinders one, while sharing in the joy and victory of another. We are not powerless to the status quo. As extensions of Jesus' body, we have been diversely gifted to bless one another. May all our striving be in service to God's graciously possible mission.
26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:26-28)
Discover your spiritual gifts:
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