Where does the Good News Come From?

The stories of faith such as we find in Genesis 18 constantly mess with our modern sensitivities. The idea of opening our doors to complete strangers and trusting them to have a message from the Lord seems naïve, irresponsible, and misplaced. We tend to think of ourselves as self-sufficient; all we need is our own take on things, our opinions, our perspective, our own hearing of God. Strangers are met with suspicion, lack of trust, and at times fear. We only need to look at how many Australians and other people around the world, particularly those who govern us, treat refugee’s and asylum seekers.

If they tell us that they have a “word from God,” most of us would think they are delusional or just arrogant. Again, and again God sends people. Unexpected people, empowered people, strange people to bring good news. Often the outsiders have a much better take on what God is up to than we do. Coming from the outside seems to bring clarity if we are willing to hear, to provide hospitality, and to respond.

I wonder what the people around us would tell us of what God is doing. What would they say about our life together, our worship, service, and our witness? We tend to think of ourselves as the ones who are sent, and we are at times. But I think Genesis invites us to open ourselves up to the possibility that there are people sent to us and that those who might seem like strangers, might just be messengers from our God. So, I wonder if it’s a call to us reminding us to pay attention, for the coming of the stranger might just be the continued fulfillment of God’s promise to us.

In our Christian understanding, a sent people, an apostolic people, are a people who must be willing to deal with the struggles of the journey we call faith. Our walk of discipleship with its twists, turns, and trials forms us into a holy people. Each step of the way, even when we do not realise it, shapes us into a more mature and effective community of the baptised. We indeed feel weak, weary, and worn from the difficulties of living the way of Jesus. At those times, we are invited to reflect on Christ and the great love that our God has for us. In our trials that we face in our lives, we are participating in the way of Jesus as we grow in grace and truth.

Imagine if Christians at every baptismal service, would claim for each newly baptised person their gifts as kingdom bearers! We would tell their parents, them, and the congregation to go “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, and throw out demons.” I think this might just make some take pause and wonder if they really feel called to the waters of baptism. It might make some parents wait till another day to bring their children forward. Most of all it might just birth revival. It might be the reminder that all of us need as God’s people that our call is not to sit in sanctuaries, hear a good sermon, and hear songs, but that we are a sent and empowered people to bring forth God’s kingdom in visible ways.