Wednesday, June 22, 2022
“I tell you the
truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even
greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” (John 14:12, New Living Translation)
Please, do not put any tool of any
kind in my hands. A simple repair job will take me twice as long as anyone else
might do it. And I will likely have to do it twice, at least, because I didn’t
get it right the first time. Recently, I was retrying to replace the burner in
my BBQ. I bought the replacement part and discovered I had to put it together.
Oh-oh. But I actually followed the instructions, only had do undo a part once,
and in relatively short order I had a serviceable burner. But when I sent to install it, I pulled too hard on one of
the venturi tubes and it snapped off at the base. I’ve ordered a new part, but
if you hear of a gas explosion in Peterborough, well, think of me fondly.
I worked for my father’s construction
business. The stories I could tell. I once lost a new door off the trailer I
was hauling. He probably would have fired me but Mom would have been mad. The one lasting and fitting monument to my handyman-ship
is the outhouse which I put up at my in-law’s new cottage (now Nick and Erin’s)
over 40 some years ago and is still standing and in use. They should put a historic plaque on it.
Christianity is a faith and
grace-based, not a work-based movement. “But people are counted as
righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who
forgives sinners.” (Romans 4:5 NLT) But this does not mean that we get to
sit idly by and watch the world go by, knowing our ticket to heaven is punched.
Jesus expects good works from
followers. He wants more workers for his Kingdom according to Matthew 9:38. When
accused of disobeying Judaic law by “working” on the sabbath when he healed, he
would have none of that nonsense. As my mother would say, “Better
the day, the better the deed.” Many a parable was about working in the vineyard,
i.e. working to bear fruit and to do works of compassion, love, mercy, forgiveness
and the like.
It wasn’t about working for
money, or praise or recognition or so we have a good pension plan, although I
will admit the Kingdom’s pension plan is to be highly regarded. But just as
Jesus recognized that he was always working because God was always working (John
5:17), he encourages that we, his followers, be always prepared and ready to
put our backs to the wheel in working for his cause. As our above text affirms,
we are empowered to do the same works as Jesus. I have always found that assertion
rather mind-blowing, considering all that Jesus did.
The great thing about these
works is that we don’t have to become experts as we would if we were starting a
carpentry business, for example. With the Holy Sprit’s assistance and the personal
inner desire, we can immediately set to work to assist Jesus in the building of
his kingdom. Of course, constant practice at these works will help to make us
better and better at doing them. There is no apprenticeship, per se, but we put
to use the gifts, talents and abilities which are right at our fingertips, so
to speak.
Even Paul understood the importance
of good works: “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord
enthusiastically.” (Romans 12: 11, NLT)
We are outfitted for the work of
service once we have joined the Way. Let’s make it count for something.
“Take particular care in
picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an
inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The
inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If
your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building
will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll
survive—but just barely.” (1 Corinthians 3: 14 -15, The Message Bible)
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