13 April 2009 - Sent

Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit...” (John 20:22)

When Jesus died on the cross, we said it is not the end because He was then rose from the death. He had victory over death. Then, was it finally the end? For Jesus, it was. He had accomplished His purpose on earth. He had done the will of His Father faithfully. He deserves all the glory for all that He has done for mankind. Indeed, He is exalted high in heaven and now He is seated in the heavenly kingdom with His Father. His death and resurrection are sufficient for redemption of all humankind.

But, is that the end for us also? God finishes the good work in Jesus. But God's works on earth still continue. Now He works through us, His followers and His children. Instead of becoming an end, it is the beginning for all of us. The moment we receive Jesus, our lives are renewed and that's where the new journey begins. Before He went up to heaven, Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commandments, which also apply to us. “Make disciples all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I will bless you until the end of time.”

God continues to work. He promises Holy Spirit to guide those whom He sends. Jesus promises blessings until the end of time. Given the command and the provisions, are we going to stay idle? After receiving the salvation, are we going to just sit around, do our stuffs, live our life feeling content enough with our faith? Are going to continue our daily routines, work, study, breathe, and live passively, waiting for Jesus to come for the second time and waiting for us to go to heaven? No! That's not what God plans.

Instead of living passively, we are to share the message of salvation to others who have not heard about it. In everything that we do, working, studying, relating with others, we should be able to let others see God who dwells in us (be salt and light). We should not limit our spirituality only in the church every Sunday, and live like people with no faith from Monday to Saturday. That's what Jesus called hypocrite. Instead, our spirituality should show up in everything that we do, every time, ever where, and in our relationships with everyone.

Remember the parable of talents. The servants who received 5 and 3 talents multiplied them to gain more. The master's absence did not make them passive and lazy. Instead, they felt responsible for what the master had trusted to them. However, the servant who received 1 talent thought the other way around. He hid the talent and did not make any effort to multiply it. When the master went back, the faithful servants were rewarded and the lazy servant was punished. Similarly, while waiting for our King to come for the second time, we should actively do what He commanded us to. So, when He comes back and evaluates our lives, He will say, “Good job, you good and faithful servant!”