Joshua (4:19-24); 5:9-122
Corinthians 5:17-21
Luke 15:11-32
Corinthians 5:17-21
17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Paul says we are called to the ministry of reconciliation—restoration of the world to God’s favor. As new creations, we are to work with God to bring the world back into sync with the Lord of all. Paul says we are “ambassadors for Christ”. An ambassador goes to a foreign country on behalf of a leader, ruler, or government. We are called to go into the world as representatives of Christ in and to the world.
Corinthians 5:17-21
17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Paul says we are called to the ministry of reconciliation—restoration of the world to God’s favor. As new creations, we are to work with God to bring the world back into sync with the Lord of all. Paul says we are “ambassadors for Christ”. An ambassador goes to a foreign country on behalf of a leader, ruler, or government. We are called to go into the world as representatives of Christ in and to the world.
What does it mean to be an ambassador (minister) of reconciliation? How can we do this ministry?Fortunately, we aren’t alone or on our own in this mission. Christ goes with us and before us. All we need to do is respond and say ‘yes’. When we are in relationship with God, we are able to carry out our ministry as ambassadors (representatives) of the Holy One.
I collect clippings of poems, quotes, etc. that are meaningful to me. One that I’ve had for a long time is entitled Called to Say Yes. I think I copied it from a book of poetry, but it’s been so long ago that I don’t know who to give credit to. (You can tell from a couple of the verses that it was probably from the 70’s.) To me, this poem gives the answer to how to start a “ministry of reconciliation.”
We are called to say yes
That the Kingdom might break through
To renew and to transform
Our dark and groping world.
We stutter and we stammer
To the lone God who calls
And pleads a New Jerusalem
In the bloodied Sinai Straits
We are called to say yes
That honeysuckle may twine
And twist its smelling leaves
Over the graves of nuclear arms.
We are called to say yes
That children might play
On the soil of Vietnam where the tanks
Belched blood and death.
We are called to say yes
That black may sing with white
And pledge peace and healing
For the hatred of the past.
We are called to say yes
So that nations might gather
And dance one great movement
For the joy of humankind.
We are called to say yes
So that rich and poor embrace
And become equal in their poverty
Through the silent tears that fall.
We are called to say yes
That the whisper of our God
Might be heard through our sirens
And the screams of our bombs.
We are called to say yes
To a God who still holds fast
To the vision of the Kingdom
For a trembling world of pain.
We are called to say yes
To this God who reaches out
And asks us to share
His crazy dream of love.
For your journal: What might happen if you said “Yes” to God and “His crazy dream of love”? Jot down a few ways you could act as a minister or ambassador of reconciliation?
