GIVING FREELY

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.

Matthew 10:8b-10

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As Matthew Chapter 10 opened, we found Jesus dispatching and empowering His twelve disciples so they could “go…to the lost sheep of Israel”, preach that the “kingdom of heaven (was) near”, “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy”, and “drive out demons”.

Not a small undertaking was it?

Because the world that Jesus entered was a world full of problems. People were not only physically ill but mentally and spiritually as well. Many were in need of something greater than themselves to get well. And they received it in the way of Jesus.

Now today if you went to the doctor because you were sick in some way, you would get help but it would not come without a cost. No…you will pay to receive the care you need.

But Jesus didn’t charge those who He helped. He didn’t tell the leper that He would make him better for a standard charge of $2,500. He didn’t tell the blind that restoring sight would cost $20,000. And resurrection? How much would it be worth to be raised from the dead? I’m sure it would carry with it a hefty charge if the world could offer it.

No…Jesus gave of Himself freely, unleashing His healing, transforming power on those who believe and trust in Him. And He did it all the way to the cross at Calvary where he was crucified and hung to pay the price for the sins of all mankind…you and I included.

Has there been any greater sacrifice than this? A sacrifice freely given to us all.

For just as Jesus didn’t charge those he encountered in the gospel that we’re studying, neither does He charge His faithful ones today.

No…freely He gives and freely we receive…blessed beyond belief.

And yet, way too often we forget this.

In fact we forget it so much that we fail to model the actions of Jesus. For He didn’t freely give to us and we didn’t freely receive so that we could adopt an attitude that thinks we’re obligated anything from anybody. No…we are to freely give just as we have freely received.

Question: How freely have you given of yourself lately? How have you sought to actively make a difference, seeking to heal and transform others through the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus has provided?

Friends, we read the words of Jesus in Chapter 9. The harvest fields are ripe for the harvest but the workers are few. Too many people have freely received what Jesus has freely given and then not given back freely in return.

At stake are the souls of the lost…the sheep of the world who wander without their Shepherd.

If you’ve been on the sidelines…or if you seek to “charge” for your services when it comes to doing the work that Jesus calls you to do, I encourage you to step back and reassess.

For today’s scripture calls us to be proactive in partnership with our Savior to freely give as he freely gave to us.

How can we possibly ignore that call?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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