Word for the day by Christian Education Program
32 Now the whole group of
those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private
ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common.
In today’s society among the countless organizations that exist, the
word community is brought up countless times. While it is defined as a
group of people gathering together for a unified purpose, how does the Bible's
connotation bring meaning to this word? The book of Acts written by the
physician Luke, details the lengthy history of the early church community and
its explosion in growth. As we see the amazing ways in which the Lord works
through the people and world in that time, how does this correlate to us as
disciples living in the 21st century Mar Thoma Church?
We live in a large world with a seemingly endless list of tasks to accomplish
and needs to be met. Comfort and peace is something we, as human beings, crave
in our lives and it is often found in the people around us. How deep are these
connections in our lives. Is it merely a small talk and say good bye
relationship? Is our connections with others in our church solely centred on
our cultural background and church events? As Christians, true
unification occurs with the ultimate sacrifice in Christ Jesus and the Holy
spirit that dwells within us.
As we examine the passage, we see a transformative way in which the
community of believers at that time lived life amongst each other. They had the
same heart and mindset of being focused on God's work and literally sold
everything they had! While this may seem radical in concept, it is an
incredible sign of their love and care for one another. In saying this is 'not
my money and land', they share in the SAME struggle together. That there
was no needy among them(v.34) is a testament to the grace of God changing the
believer's idea of giving and community. The people remembered the SOURCE
of their blessings and thus there is no “me” or “mine” mindset. Our
society dwells on the concepts of an ''us and them" mentality but the
grace of God destroys it.
We see the explosion of followers in Christ grow in the beginning of Acts 4
after Peter and John faced questioning and opposition from the Sanhedrin and
synagogue rulers. The so called structural “church” did not comprehend nor
believe and instead chose to stifle the message of Christ's resurrection.
Though the jailing was meant to deter followers, it only led to seekers coming
in bigger droves. Not only that, Peter and John's testimony empowered the
believers to take greater leaps of faith and love each other. My prayer is that
we learn to give not out of convenience and surplus, but in inconvenience and
need. God will provide every need and grow us in trial rather than in success.
May God bless us all in this season of Lent as we remember the life, death and
resurrection of our Lord.
PRAYER
Heavenly
Father, help us to pursue a heart of grace for those in need and empower
us to deny our sinful selves, so that we may grow in greater intimacy with You.
Grant us ears to listen to the needs of your people, the true church, so
that we may run the race of faith continually in true community. Amen
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
How
well do we know the needs, hearts, and pain of the people around us? How
can we grow to love and support them as Christ would?