ΝΑΜΑΤΑ ΓΛΥΚΥΡΡΟΙΑ: Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" Luke 13:22-23

37 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, ὁ ποιήσας τὸ ἔλεος μετ' αὐτοῦ. εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ ἰησοῦς, πορεύου καὶ σὺ ποίει ὁμοίως.
38 ἐν δὲ τῷ πορεύεσθαι αὐτοὺς αὐτὸς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς κώμην τινά: γυνὴ δέ τις ὀνόματι μάρθα ὑπεδέξατο αὐτόν.
39 καὶ τῇδε ἦν ἀδελφὴ καλουμένη μαριάμ, [ἣ] καὶ παρακαθεσθεῖσα πρὸς τοὺς πόδας τοῦ κυρίου ἤκουεν τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ.
40 ἡ δὲ μάρθα περιεσπᾶτο περὶ πολλὴν διακονίαν: ἐπιστᾶσα δὲ εἶπεν, κύριε, οὐ μέλει σοι ὅτι ἡ ἀδελφή μου μόνην με κατέλιπεν διακονεῖν; εἰπὲ οὖν αὐτῇ ἵνα μοι συναντιλάβηται.
41 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῇ ὁ κύριος, μάρθα μάρθα, μεριμνᾷς καὶ θορυβάζῃ περὶ πολλά,
42 ἑνὸς δέ ἐστιν χρεία: μαριὰμ γὰρ τὴν ἀγαθὴν μερίδα ἐξελέξατο ἥτις οὐκ ἀφαιρεθήσεται αὐτῆς.

Παρασκευή 29 Οκτωβρίου 2010

Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" Luke 13:22-23

How many people did Jesus win during His earthly ministry? We do not know, but the accounts in the Gospels indicate that after the disciples were called, initially He became popular with the ordinary people but unpopular with the religious leaders. Later on, the crowds also turned away: at His trial, Jesus had no friend to stand by Him. Yet when the eleven trainee apprentices were filled with the Holy Spirit, a great movement of gospel truth started and has now spread all around the world.

However, the huge growth of the kingdom of God is not always obvious to us. The disciples saw a shrinking crowd, more sceptics and greater opposition. And so they asked if only a few would be saved. Jesus had already said, "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:14). Yet Revelation 7:9 describes the scene in heaven, "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb." So, whatever we see is not the whole picture.

Men and women of faith are not limited by what they can see. Faithful gospel workers sowing the seed of God's Word for a generation may not see much fruit; but the fruit will come. Those who have been persecuted and have lost everything may wonder if it was all worth it; but the fruit will come. Believers surrounded by unbelievers may feel crushingly isolated; but the fruit will come. Those who publish literature or put gospel truth on the internet may not see any fruit ... but it will come! So take courage yet again today; go out in the strength of the Lord! Whatever you think has or has not been achieved, the Lord of the harvest will ensure that when He reaps it, there will be a multitude of saved people which exceeds any human calculation or observation. We are called to live by faith: not be discouraged by the small beginnings you see around you, and look to the far greater harvest on the Day when Jesus Christ returns.