Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Theme: People of God: Ambassadors of Christ
“We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his
appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God
(V.20)
At the time of
communal clashes in India, Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the nation addressed
the Indian people through his newspaper, “My dear Hindu brothers show a
Christian attitude towards your Muslim brothers”. What is the Christian -
people of God- attitude in a world of divisions, clashes and tensions in home
and in community?
In 2 Corinthians
5, the Apostle Paul says: We are `ambassadors for
Christ’ and we are entrusted with Christ’s message of peace, God making his
appeal through us. The word,` Ambassador’, was a Roman word and so was
known in the Roman world.
During
Apostle Paul’s time, Roman provinces were governed either by the Roman Senate
or the Roman Caesar. When a province was peaceful and serene, it was ruled by
the Roman Senate. But when a province was filled with conflicts and
confrontations, factions and frictions, then the divisive province was governed
by a personal representative of the Roman Caesar, and that personal
representative was called an “ambassador.” Ambassadors were thus the personal
representatives of Caesar to work with conflictive provinces. And so it was for
these first Christians; they were called to be ambassadors of peace and
reconciliation towards the conflicts and confrontations among them. The
word, “ambassador” was not known nor used in the Old Testament or in the
vocabulary of Jesus, but the Apostle Paul was a Roman citizen and so he used
the Roman concept of “ambassador.” Rejection of the ambassador is tantamount to rejection of the King and
calls into question the reception of the King's message.
An ambassador is one who: l) occupies a very
distinguished position; 2) he is the personal representative of the government;
3) knows the position of the government on a particular issue and then speaks
the message for that government.
To be
an ambassador for Jesus Christ is a great honour. It is a great privilege. As
ambassadors of Jesus Christ, we are personal representatives of Christ under
all situations. We speak the message of God in to a particular situation
knowing the “party line”. Paul believed that the ambassador is entrusted the
ministry of reconciliation (5:11-6:11). Paul's doctrine of reconciliation is from the four perspectives. Initiation
by God the Father, mediation by God the Son, proclamation by Evangelist, and
actualization by individuals who hear the proclaimed message and receive it by
faith.
The actualization
of reconciliation has even greater effects as reconciled individuals begin to
live at peace with one another in the community of the people of God. Local
churches thus become microcosmic examples of the ultimate eschatological shalom
which will someday characterize the macrocosm of the universe when the Creator
brings about new heavens and a new earth.
The
people of God are called to be ambassadors of peace and reconciliation to
conflictive congregations and conflictive situations and conflictive
communities and homes.
Prayer: Gracious Lord, help us to be
your ambassadors in all situations of life and give us your grace to be agents
of reconciliation in a world torn apart by strife, violence and hatred....Amen
Thought
for the Day:We,
People of God – Ambassadors of Christ-called out not to maintain the statuesque
but to change the situation according to the will of God.
Rev: Vinoj Varghese, St. Peters & Hermon MTC, LONDON,
UK