Encountering Jesus: The Lost, the Straying, and the Call to Restoration

Dear Church Family,

How can we even begin to understand the overall impact of the encounter between Jesus Christ and humankind?  For example, we only need to look at the period since He was born upon this planet, the brief time He spent here and the monumental effects He triggered since.  Jesus has had the largest number of followers of any figure in human history to date.  He is also respected by many beyond the realms of Christianity.  Jesus came and showed our world God’s great love in His desire to bless us, save us and bring us together in Him.  Spiritually speaking, His impact will only be known in eternity, for example, in the countless souls who have decided to give their lives to Him.  Socially, charitable work, the education system, health, wellbeing, welfare, human rights and social values are just some areas in which the faith Jesus stood for has been world-changing.  This has been followed through in the work of Christians throughout the world, which continues to have a massive impact globally. 

It is well worth touching on some aspects of the Lord’s enduring impact on various groups He interacted with in continuing this series on encounters with Jesus.  This week, I mention 2 of these groups as encouragement for us in the mission He left us with: the Lost and Believers Who Had Gone Astray.  Then I will just ask two questions this week, for reflection.  

The Lost

Individuals who did not know God at all were met with great compassion by Jesus.  We should all breathe a sigh of relief for that.  Jesus was noticeably gentler with them because He did not hold them accountable for what they did not know.  His care was undeniable, yet He was unwaveringly honest. Some Examples are His encounters with the Samaritan Woman (the Woman at the Well), the Syrophoenician (or Canaanite) Woman and the ‘Gadarene Demoniac.’  This balance between grace and truth has a way of inspiring individuals to be the best they can be.  At the same time, the empowerment of His divine grace positively worked wonders.  This group were among those He repeatedly commended for their faith.  Salvation is a gift that overcomes every challenge, such as our wrongdoings, our faults, our past, etc.  Openly or obviously sinful lifestyles are often those we feel like distancing ourselves from the most.  However, Jesus’ counterintuitive way of looking at things meant that the lost in general, including those with distasteful lifestyles, were those He was often drawn to and frequently offered salvation because, as Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10).  

If our churches are places where the lost can meet Christ, what practical measures could be taken so that an experience of His ability to transform lives can be made more accessible to people within this group?

Believers Who Had Gone Astray.

This is not to say that Jesus was uninterested in believers, too.  One category among them is those who were once members of the household of faith, but they had somehow lost their way.  Jesus referred members of this group back to what they already knew but dealt with them in a similarly gracious and gentle way, not kicking them while they were already down.  His Parable of the Prodigal Son (similarly the lost sheep and the lost coin in Luke 15) with the image of the Father running to welcome the son with arms open wide, demonstrated the great love of God and His willingness to forgive and restore those who had gone astray.  Restoration is the goal. The resentfulness of the older brother who looked on jealously shows us how believers must be careful not to view these situations self-righteously or have attitudes that could be a hindrance.  Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), Mary of Bethany (Matthew 26:6-13 and the Man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-15) are among those who received another chance and encouragement to “sin no more” (John 8:11).  During the pandemic, there were some people who disappeared not only from churches but are not worshipping anymore.  Jesus was concerned about believers whose faith was no longer vibrant.  What measures could we take to reach out to these individuals and check that the Church is providing all it can to support and encourage them?

What an amazing record Jesus had.  His influence has uplifted humanity from the absolute degradation and destruction we faced without God.  Like the man who ended up among robbers in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, we would have been left to die helplessly at the mercy of the enemy.  Socially, this has brought so much to our world.  Spiritually, the impact upon countless souls who accepted His message of salvation blows the mind and in turn their impact on yet others is incalculable.  May this legacy continue with you and me.

In closing this editorial, I am pleased to inform you that over the past two weeks, we have had several baptisms within the South England Conference.  The Ukrainian Church with Pastor Vasyl had 6 persons baptised. At our Portuguese Churches’ Day of Fellowship last week, there were 11 baptisms. We give thanks for our Pastors and leaders who worked with these new members. The Brixton SDA Church held a revival that was impactful in many ways, including the return of many who had stopped going to church. There were also a few baptisms. Thanks to Pastors Daly, Johnson and the leadership team. Let me also congratulate all those who have conducted baptisms that I do not know of. Let us continue to be Inspired for Mission!