It’s easy to focus on the disciples in the Bible’s New Testament, see their lifestyle and feel inferior. They travel around, do miracles, preach and see amazing results!
But, where are the little people? The everyday people who live rather ordinary lives of faith? Those who are not the superstar disciples?
At the Fusion conference last week Tom Short gave us a brief snapshot of what he feels like happened in the life of one of these sorts of people.
Mark reports on the man who Jesus commanded demons to come out of and into a heard of pigs. He begs Jesus for permission to follow him:
Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.” So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed. — Mark 5:19-20 (CSB)
The story seems to end there but Tom follows up with the next time the region is mentioned in Mark:
As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized him. They hurried throughout that region and began to carry the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Wherever he went, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch just the end of his robe. And everyone who touched it was healed. — Mark 6:54-56 (CSB)
Jesus had a special mission for that guy. That region was scared of Jesus and asked him to leave after the pigs incident. But, now after this guy has been proclaiming how much Jesus has done for him they respond very differently. They respond to Jesus with faith and “everyone who touched (his robe) was healed.” What an amazing scene!
It’s easy to feel a bit off to the side of the main track. You missed this or didn’t make that. You were too old or too young, too cynical or too ignorant. The possibility was there but you didn’t get into the club. We’re not superstars.
Yet, God always has a plan for each and every one of us. If we’re willing to do what God asks us to do he can and will use us.
If that guy in Mark would have pouted and moped that he didn’t get to be one of the big twelve disciple superstars the region would have missed out on his influence.
Let’s pray and ask God what he wants for us today, this week and this month. Then let’s get busy doing what he wants and speaking the truth in love to those he puts in our path.