Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
Contrast this to the LCM, who won't show love unless there's a possibility of return. The FTTA trainers told us, "Don't waste your time". Quote, unquote. And no, they weren't going rogue. They were channeling WL.
If you look at the Samaritan, like Philip with the Ethiopian, there is no thought of return, of WL's "building up" idea. These are seemingly random acts of kindness, disconnected to some meta-narrative of tractoring God's heavenly kingdom into earthly reality, as we might imagine we should. Who'll shepherd the poor Ethiopian eunuch, and guide him into all the truth? An angel sent Philip to the south road, an the Holy Spirit said, Run up that chariot, and the Holy Spirit knew the next move as well, and the next. . . Philip didn't need to manipulate God's kingdom into being. Philip was already there. Just obey the voice from heaven, and love your neighbor. Yes, that one - the one right next to you.
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Jesus chose to heal the ten lepers even though He would have known that only one out of the ten would come back and thank Him.
I guess the "don't waste time" mentality you mentioned above has similarities with what Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 10 when He sent them forth :-"If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet."
I suppose the point is that we should still preach the gospel and do good works to everyone, but if the recipient is still hostile, then we just move on? (Let me know if you have a different view).
As for the Philip-Ethiopian encounter, in today's context (with the world being more interconnected with internet, whatsapp), should we expect the modern-day Philip to do a bit more follow-through? (Give the Ethiopian his email address? But no particular need to follow-up unless he is led by the Spirit to do so?)