When God Says …
“If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”” (Luke 9:5 NIV)
The instruction given by the Lord Jesus Christ in this verse is meant to display the testimony against a town’s rejection of the Lord's message of grace of the Kingdom of God. This symbolic act is a deliberate, public and visible gesture to testify that the message of the Kingdom of God has been offered to the town but rejected. Shaking the dust off one's feet was a Jewish custom in Bible era when leaving Gentile territory to enter a Jewish land, representing a removal of pagan defilement. By telling the disciples to do this even in Jewish towns they visit that rejects them and God's message, the Lord equates those who reject His message with unclean Gentiles. This act marks them as outside of the covenant community.
The Lord’s instruction serves as a pop up alert for us to be mindful with the zeal of faith. If we find a town where no one will listen, emulating them, we are not to stay and beg. We are to leave, symbolic of judgment against the town as if it were pagan and unclean. By shaking the dust off their feet, they illustrate there is nothing in that town worthy of their attention. The Lord Jesus adds by saying: “As you go into the house, give it your greeting [that is, ‘Peace be to this house’]. If [the family living in] the house is worthy [welcoming you and your message], give it your [blessing of] peace [that is, a blessing of well-being and prosperity, the favor of God]. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. Whoever does not welcome you, nor listen to your message, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust [of it] off your feet [in contempt, breaking all ties]. [Mark 6:11; Acts 13:51] I assure you and most solemnly say to you, it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city [since it rejected the Messiah’s messenger].” (Matthew 10:12-15 AMP).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment