May 10, 2007

Where'd They Go

Luke 17:11-19

"Were not ten made clean? Buth the other nine,

where are they?" vs. 17

Ministry by the way of Jesus can be one of the most exhausting, disappointing, and heartbreaking endeavors. We preach and pray for redemption. We offer the gift of grace that transforms, renews, and makes whole. We put ourselves out there, because we believe that God first put Himself out "there" for us. All of this is done in the hopes that those we seek to invite to the Lord's Table will be changed "in the twinkling of an eye," or that in some way that they would "get it."

But ministry by the way of Jesus reminds us that this isn't always the case. Sometimes we offer the grace of healing and ninety percent of those to whom we've offered take advantage of our kindness and vulnerability. We are used and forgotten. We forfeit our time, our energy, our resources, our emotional reserves and we are left without so much as a "thanks" and no glory given to God. We stand there, like Jesus, asking ourselves "Wait a minute, weren't there ten and now there is only one. Where'd the others go."

Is this is something into which you care to enlist...Why? Why go through all the effort when the deck is seemingly stacked against you? There are two short answers that might be helpful. The first is simply, "God went through the effort for you." Our ministry is a ministry of thankfulness and memory. God's Word consistently reminds us that we were dead in our sins and transgressions, hard-hearted and stubborn, but the grace (the Gift) of God liberated us and opened our eyes to the unfathomable abundance of God's self-giving love, a love that knows no boundaries. In the face of heartbreak and disappointment--God made Himself vulnerable time and again. God's desire for redemption and recreation wasn't deterred by our unwillingness to receive His gift. To that we rejoice and offer up prayers of thanksgiving.

The second is this, "...one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice." We not only minister from a posture of thankfulness and memory, but also from a prayful posture of hope. We believe that 10% is more than worth it. We give our lives for all...even if only 10% receive the gift. This story tells us that the one who "got it" wasn't even a Jew but a Samaritan. Talk about offensive to a Jewish audience. But this reminds us that ministry however depleting and despairing it might some times be hangs on the balance that once in a while the unexpected will receive the gift and throw himself/herself prostrate at the feet of Jesus. To that we rejoice and offer up prayers of thanksgiving.

BTW--Did I mention there is no other way to minister but by the way of Jesus? Care to join His WAY?