Don’t just watch, walk

Every day we're reading, listening to or watching part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:

What did I like about today's passage?

I find these stories about Jesus and his followers exciting and more than a bit scary. My excitement comes from being impressed again and again that Jesus is the real thing. He has so much power and uses it so well. He shows love in action, people get fed, healed, built up, shown the meaning of life and given significance and purpose in the universe. Yes!

So what’s scary? It’s these bits where he turns to followers and says, “Your turn.”

It turns out that life with Jesus is not a spectator event. It’s not a show put on for believers’ comfort. It’s far more involving, interesting, challenging, worthwhile and world-changing, because Jesus was not just being amazing. He was building and walking out a way of life for people to follow, as unlikely as that seemed given the incredible things he could do.

I’m trying to imagine how it felt to be with Jesus at that time of being sent out to do what he did, leaving behind all the stuff I would want to rely on for comfort. Being encouraged to stay where there’s a welcome and having Jesus’ permission to move on if there’s not. And then actually seeing this healing I might have thought I’d only ever see at Jesus’ hands.

Thinking back, although I’ve actually been on mission trips, believed and seen healing myself, and in Bristol too, I’m still in awe. Watching seems a lot easier than walking with Jesus.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

God’s plan to draw people back to himself, enjoying fullness of life under the authority of his leadership, looked hard when all we could see was laws, but it looks a lot more doable when we can see Jesus. God wants us to understand what he expects of us, and Jesus’ stories about living the laws of love help with that, but he also empowers us to live the way Jesus does too. That includes giving us the ability to get uncomfortable, go on journeys and do impossible looking things which bring life to others.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

Somehow it doesn’t feel like the season for us to do mission trips at the moment (but I could be wrong about that!) In our life in Bristol, there is still the temptation to glue ourselves to a screen and watch great things happen somewhere else more than walking with Jesus into encounters and relationships where we can be empowered as followers like this. I’m going to pray more to see the opportunities God has sent us here for right now, and be ready to walk more with Jesus, not just sit and watch!

Who am I going to share this with?

My family.