SUMMONS ON THE MARGINS (35 OF 52)
Scripture: Matthew 4:15-25
This content is part of a series.
Summons on the Margins (35 of 52)
Series: Discipleship Part Three
Christopher B. Harbin
Matthew 4:15-25
We look to an introduction to tell us what lies ahead. We read a book jacket to see what kind of book it is. We watch previews to gauge our interest in seeing a movie. We read the overview of a course we might take, a synopsis of what a speaker might say, or the resume of a worker we might hire. We want an advance warning, a way to prepare for what lies ahead. We don't always get a good notion of what is coming, but at times it is our own fault for not paying attention. When Jesus presented the disciples an overview of what his teaching and ministry would look like, did they catch the significance?
Some of you have met our little dog. He is an unceasing bundle of activity with the will to transform the energy level around him. He has never met a stranger. He just greets new friends, one after the other. He hopes the next guest to our home will spend the entire visit playing with him. If you sit down on the sofa, you will have company pestering you to play, pet, and allow yourself to be groomed by a pink tongue that never fully retracts into his mouth. On first meeting Schoko at the rescue, we had all the information needed to grasp his character, energy level, and how he would turn our lives upside down. If only we had paid attention!
The folks from the rescue took him out back with us and a toy, and we tossed it while he played fetch with no end in sight. I asked them, ''How long will he keep this up?'' They had no idea. They had just picked him up from another facility a few days before. Four years later, he hasn't stopped yet. He has to be coerced into settling down. It was obvious then. Anyone could see it. We just did not think through the implications of what we were seeing that first encounter. We had gone to adopt this rescue puppy on the basis of photos, and that was that. The energy level at home has not been the same since.
Jesus came ...
Series: Discipleship Part Three
Christopher B. Harbin
Matthew 4:15-25
We look to an introduction to tell us what lies ahead. We read a book jacket to see what kind of book it is. We watch previews to gauge our interest in seeing a movie. We read the overview of a course we might take, a synopsis of what a speaker might say, or the resume of a worker we might hire. We want an advance warning, a way to prepare for what lies ahead. We don't always get a good notion of what is coming, but at times it is our own fault for not paying attention. When Jesus presented the disciples an overview of what his teaching and ministry would look like, did they catch the significance?
Some of you have met our little dog. He is an unceasing bundle of activity with the will to transform the energy level around him. He has never met a stranger. He just greets new friends, one after the other. He hopes the next guest to our home will spend the entire visit playing with him. If you sit down on the sofa, you will have company pestering you to play, pet, and allow yourself to be groomed by a pink tongue that never fully retracts into his mouth. On first meeting Schoko at the rescue, we had all the information needed to grasp his character, energy level, and how he would turn our lives upside down. If only we had paid attention!
The folks from the rescue took him out back with us and a toy, and we tossed it while he played fetch with no end in sight. I asked them, ''How long will he keep this up?'' They had no idea. They had just picked him up from another facility a few days before. Four years later, he hasn't stopped yet. He has to be coerced into settling down. It was obvious then. Anyone could see it. We just did not think through the implications of what we were seeing that first encounter. We had gone to adopt this rescue puppy on the basis of photos, and that was that. The energy level at home has not been the same since.
Jesus came ...
There are 9249 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
