Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Edification of the Church

Bible Reading: Matthew 13: 16- 23 (NIV)

Key verse:  23

“But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it.  He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” 
(Mathew 13:23)

DEVOTION

Jesus speaks to the crowd sitting in a boat in the lake.  People gathered around him.  He spoke in parables.  The first one was the parable of the sower.  Jesus knew that people held different views about spirituality.  In order to bring them to the right path, Jesus has to speak in parables.  An edifying process is going on.  Purgation of one’s emotions happens here.  A community that fears and obeys God is being built up.  Jesus teaches them.  He encourages them.  He wants them to have good fellowship each other.  And the word of God will help them to acquire spiritual strength to sustain all these qualities.  
St. Paul also has given his whole heart to edify through strengthening and establishing the Church.  True ministry has a two sided effect. “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the Church.” (1 Corinthians 14: 3-4).  And in verse 26, he emphasizes: “Let all things be done for edification.”
Jesus Christ should be the model for all persons in the process of edification.  The Lord’s life style is the one that should be followed.  Apostle Paul is a true epitome.  He underwent persecution and suffering for the sake of gospel and Jesus Christ.  St. Paul cautions believers to be very careful even in their talks.  “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4: 29).
The modern world is corrupt.  Everywhere we see the need for edification. Jesus wants us to edify the Church and persons for which we have to edify ourselves first, just like “the seed that fell on the good soil…

PRAYER

Almighty God, purify us completely to work for Your Kingdom.  Make us seeds that may fall on the good soil so that we can edify the world around us.  Fill us with Your peace, O, Lord.

Thought for the DAY

As Jesus Christ is the builder of the Church, let us be the fruitful instruments in his hands.


Prof. Elias Abraham
Mar Thoma Church of Baltimore

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