Reconciliation

(2Corinthians 5:18) “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;”

Reconciliation is such a pleasant word on my ear, it carries such a strong connotation and with its application in our lives it brings sweet release when there was only ever hate and anxiety molding certain relationships. One can easily fill in the blanks when it comes to the broken relationships that still exist in our lives. As Christians we should not be privy to any unattended break down in any of our interactions, especially amongst other brothers and sisters in Christ. This is so serious that John rebukes those who were claiming to be Christians; “If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1John 4:20-21) - We must always look to God’s Word for positive encouragement and when we are rebuked by it as it will always work out for our benefit when it is applied correctly to our lives, that is a given!

If we have an issue against our brother we must take it to him with the intent of finding reconciliation. Who then is our brother or our sister or even our mothers? This seems like a question that belongs on a chappies (cheap bubblegum sold in South Africa) wrapper. Superficially I would agree but it goes far deeper than that. We understandably have our immediate families linked to our genealogies and we often proudly display some memorabilia concerning our heritage. Take Louis Botha, the first Prime minister of South Africa, even though I have not actually the proof required to be totally persuaded, nevertheless I have been told from a rather reliable source that I come from the line of his genealogy, on my mother’s side; there is nevertheless a part of me that looks to hold onto that and when the opportunity arises I am quick to mention it. I even have a photograph of myself posing next to his statue outside parliament in Cape Town. We like to have an affiliation with those who are or were famous and yet when it comes to the greatest of all men, the Lord Jesus Christ so many hold back with their association to Him. Some claim to be Christians but never inform others of their conversion. This is a travesty and it needs to be rectified; if the shoe fits remember to wear it; we must be quick to share our hope with others and present the gospel to those who are lost and on their way to an eternity of hate and utter darkness. And yes! Even if we are despised for it, for the gospel message is the power of God unto salvation. The Gospel is a sweet message for those who respond to it. We have an obligation to others; this is part of our responsibility as Christians and it must become part of our daily dress; “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:14-15) – Regardless of the pain it may cause to yourself or others it may just free someone from their sin and an eternal catastrophic outcome. The Gospel is sweet on the ear that receives it, IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION! It must be shared at every opportunity, let us therefore be sensitive with intent to present it at each opening.

Getting back to the question posed earlier, who then is our mother, bother or sister? But before we answer that let us set the scene…

When the Lord Jesus walked as a man here on earth and it must have been a typical day for him as he shared his gospel, presenting himself as the only solution to the world lost to their sin; nevertheless many doubted and some even accused him of having an unclean spirit. It is no different today, voluminous amounts of society will reject the true gospel message but there are some still to receive it and how beautiful it will be if received through your voice. I can only imagine the crowd as they gather to see his miracles; it must have been a jammed-packed affair. Then those summoned by his family came to him and “said your mother and brothers are outside”, I find his retort remarkable and it would be good for us to sit up and take note; “And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you." And he answered them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" – Obviously his kin was outside looking and expecting to find his favour. But this was his response; “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:35)

The author’s intent in this statement is to get us to shift in the way we think about our families. We have a new family after salvation, the penny must drop for each of us because we will spend eternity together, not just seventy years, and therefore we must make every effort to repair broken relationships. People are watching our conduct as Christians. Reconciliation brings an amazing amount of peace to our souls, praise God now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone