Thursday 18 May 2023

Psalm 47

Background

This passage is the end of Luke's Gospel and like in Matthew's Gospel, there is an instruction to the disciples that they are to bear witness to the life and ministry of Jesus and the Holy Spirit will be sent to help in the process. After which Jesus is taken up to heaven.

There were many years between the events taking place and when Luke wrote them down. We are familiar with the saying 'hindsight is 20/20'. Whether Jesus said these things or not, the reality is that is how the Church perceived it and was the reality when Luke was writing his books.

The purpose of the Church is to witness about Jesus and to preach a message of repentance and forgiveness of sins. For Luke, the forgiveness of sins is a key component of whatever message the Church shares. To address sin gives the Christian message an edge and a challenge which people may respond to negatively. It also creates a tension for us as Christians because we have our own faults: it is easy for others to accuse us and other individuals within the Church of hypocrisy. We need to remember that the Christian message is repentance and forgiveness and not condemnation. Gentleness, compassion and the possibility of being different lie at the heart of the message we are to share.

To Ponder:

• Many individuals and Churches find it difficult to know how to witness about Jesus. Why should this be the case?
• When we reflect on our own experience of faith what should we be sharing and witnessing about?
• What do we share if we feel our experience of God is ‘dull’ when compared to others?