July 25, 2014
Reach Out and Touch
Our cucumbers are vining and they climb on
anything they can reach. The other day I had to laugh when the tendrils of one
young vine even reached out and put a strangle hold on an elm seed. I think sometimes
our evangelistic efforts, especially with family members, resemble tendrils. In
our zeal we forget what Jesus said about those who belong to Him, “I
give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out
of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater
than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (Jn
10:28-29 NIV).
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----That elm seed in the grip of your cucumber tendrils is a useful metaphor. When Jesus sent out the seventy disciples, he told them to shake from their feet the dust of any town not receiving them and leave. Most of us want to hang around anyone denying the gospel and argue its points. With people who enjoy a good debate, that’s not so bad. But when the argument wells up from merely a desire to reject the gospel, reject the prospect and move on.
-----That’s a little harsh, isn’t it? Yet what did Jesus mean by “shake the dust from your feet?” He wasn’t an insulting person. Whitewashed tombs, old dry bones, hypocrites, and the other spicy concepts of His pathos weren’t built from twists of the truth as are insults. They were the truth arrayed in its most revealing dress uniform. So was shaking the dust. No effect of that town’s influence will be allowed to linger! Shake it off and move on. It’s bad enough the poor seed is dead, the tendrils need not join it.
-----Free of the grip, maybe the seed might achieve its purpose. With a little water and the right conditions, it might germinate. Even with family members we need to know when maintaining a grip with the gospel is effective, and when it is detrimental. Moreover, dust shaken from the feet with a little character can engage reverse psychology. That’s not your playground; move on, because it’s God’s.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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