Jesus’ Dream for His Disciples and the World
Matthew 4:12-17
There also must have been something special about Jesus's dream for his disciples and the world.
Jesus came preaching that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand." What was there about that kingdom that got these fishermen so excited? And why are we not as excited? Maybe we don't understand what the kingdom is. Or maybe it just hasn't been presented very well.
It reminds me of a woman who read something that dogs were healthier if fed as tablespoon of cod liver oil each day. So each day she followed the same routine "she chased her dog until she caught it, wrestled it down, and managed to force the fishy remedy down the dog's throat."
Until one day when, in the middle of this grueling medical effort, the bottle was kicked over. With a sigh, she loosed her grip on the dog so she could wipe up the mess. To her surprise the dog trotted over to the puddle and began lapping up what had been spilled. The dog loved Cod Liver Oil. It was just the owner's method of application the dog objected to.
Sometimes I think something like that has happened to the good news of the Kingdom of God. It has been so poorly presented to us that we have never been captured by its attractiveness and its power.
Jesus had a vision for the world, a dream, a picture of how life is intended to be. Jesus saw a world where God ruled ion every heart "a world of righteousness, peace, and justice. A world of love and harmony and unity. Sure, Jesus talked about heaven and life in the hereafter, but he also had a vision for this world. He called it the Kingdom of heaven or the Kingdom of God. or you can use these terms interchangeably scholars tell us. And Jesus said that this kingdom is at hand. It is available. It is not merely a distant dream. It is a present possibility. Every once in a while we catch a glimpse of that kingdom.
J. Edward Orr, a former professor of Church history at Fuller Theological Seminary, described the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit during the Welsh Revivals of the nineteenth century. As people sought the infilling of the Spirit they did all they could to confess wrong doings and all kinds of things. Everything from wheelbarrows to hammers had been stolen. However, as people sought to be right with God they started to return what they had taken, with the result that soon the shipyards of Wales were overwhelmed with return property. There were such huge piles of returned tools that several of the yards had to put up signs that read,
"If You Have Been Led by God to Return What You Have Stolen, Please Know That the Management Forgives You and Wishes You o Keep What You Have Taken."
Wouldn't you love to see that kind of revival sweep this nation? Couldn't you get excited about a world in which people began making restitution for their wrongs? Could you get excited about a world in which you could always trust people to do the right thing because God lived in their heart? Couldn't you get excited about a world without child abuse, without murder, without broken families, or drug addiction? A world without fear or poverty or disease? Couldn't you get excited about a world like that?
Questions to Ponder
Is there anything exciting about your dream or dreams?
How well do you present the good news of the Gospel?
What is your vision for our nation and world and are you wiling to help bring it to pass?
In His Service,
Terry Phillips
