“Your knowledge and wisdom came to you from someone else, and you have an opportunity to pass it on to others.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – August 6, 2022
Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Luke 8:1-2a, NLT
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in my first pastoral job, sitting at my desk responding to emails, when our head pastor came into my office and said, “I’m going to the hospital to visit a sick parishioner, want to come along?” Having never made a pastoral visit of this nature, I had little to add or contribute to this visit. Similarly, this kindhearted pastor didn’t need me to join him in any way, and in truth, my presence only added an additional layer of relational complexity to which he had to be attentive. Yet he was not only fully aware of this, but welcomed it gladly as he saw in that moment an opportunity to not only care for an ailing member of his parish, but to model through his actions the way of faithful pastoral care and leadership.
Of course, he learned this from Jesus’ example. As we see in Luke 8, Jesus was always on the move, visiting towns and villages to proclaim the Kingdom of God that was in their midst and to heal the sick and set free the oppressed. Yet notice he did not do this on his own. Yes, there were times when Jesus retreated to solitary places to pray and commune with the Father (Mark 1:35), yet most of the time he intentionally invited others into his work of transformation. Would it have been simpler and less complicated for him to go out on his own? Of course. However, we must see that just as Jesus’ mission was focused on healing and curing others, so too was it centered upon the equipping and empowering of his disciples to join him in this work of renewal.
I gained more wisdom and insight into pastoral care in that hour at the hospital than a lifetime of reading could ever impart. There are things that cannot be studied in the abstract but must be encountered in the flesh, and so often this requires an invitation to be extended for others to join you in the work that you set out to do. Your knowledge and wisdom came to you from someone else, and you have an opportunity to pass it on to others.
Who can you invite to join you in the work that you’ve been given? You don’t have to be a vocational minister to answer this call! Every follower of Christ has been given a mission, good and holy work that you do for the glory of God and good of others. The next time you set out to pray or read your Bible, consider inviting someone to join you, whether it’s a spouse, child, or friend that is an infant in their faith. If you serve your church or community, do not serve alone, but reach out to another follower of Christ and see if they would like to come along. And, the next time you’re invited by a fellow believer to join them in the work of the Kingdom, join them with a heart of gratitude and anticipation, believing it is in these shared moments of service that the Kingdom is to be found.
Prayer
Father, thank you for the gift of community and the invitation before us to learn from others and share with them the wisdom and insights we have gained, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Who has God placed in your life that you are meant to mentor and intentionally invest in, bringing them along with you in the work that you do?
Related Reading
Proverbs 27:17; 2 Timothy 2:2; 1 Peter 5:1-5
Worship Resource
Lion of Judah: Joy
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