What It's Really All About

[aron]

Originally Posted by micah6v8

(3) In both cases, there is a display of love. The prodigal son is loved by the father (symbolising the heavenly Father) while the traveller is loved by his neighbour. The prodigal son is loved even though he does not deserve it while the traveller is loved even though the Samaritan was not obliged to help him.

This was an absolutely fantastic bit of writing. I think Jesus would say, "Now you are not far from the kingdom." What will transform this world is love.

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.

[micah6v8]

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.

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?)

[Cal]

Originally Posted by micah6v8

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?)

I think the story is more about what can happen if we listen to the Spirit in our daily lives and that short encounters are worthwhile. I don't think that Philip no longer saw the Ethiopian need be taken in the absolute sense. The point is they were together for a short time but blessing still occurred.

If I see someone reading a Bible in Starbucks, I might ask them what they are reading or say something cute like, "That's a good book you're reading!" We might just chat for a moment or something more might come of it. But it's never a waste of time.

Large or small, just keeping sowing. That's the lesson.

[testallthings]

Among the things a church should do W. Nee also considered,

"(4) Distribution of relief to the unbelieving poor. (5) Sending relief to flood and fire victims.”


The Church and the Work
III
Church Affairs
WATCHMAN NEE
Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc.
New York , page 61

[ZNPaaneah]

Originally Posted by micah6v8

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).

12*And as ye enter into the house, salute it. 13*And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14*And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, as ye go forth out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15*Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.


Think about the Wright brothers. They invented the airplane in the US and wanted to sell it to the US but the US government wouldn’t even give them the time of day. They had no choice but to go to France. But once the whole world had seen what they did it became a testimony against those who had rejected even looking at their invention in the US. Why? Because those officials had spent $70,000 of taxpayer money on their own attempt and been publicly embarrassed. To have these two (no college degree) to do it was humiliating.

But this response is typical (pasteurization, the transistor, Earth revolves around the Sun, etc)