And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. -Matthew 4:24 (KJV)
Over the years I have seen articles in newspapers and magazines with titles like “What’s Hot” and “What’s Not.” They will explore people and trends which are either famous or infamous. Most mornings I read Yahoonews.com and on one side of the page is a section called “Trending Now,” that explores people and topics currently in the news. What is famous and being watched by the public is liable to change at any moment. The list of people who became famous and then quickly faded into obscurity is indeed lengthy.
For example, you may recall Robert Van Winkle, aka Vanilla Ice. Around 20 years ago this young rapper became famous almost overnight. He was filling concert halls and other large venues across the country. However, just as quickly as he rose to stardom his fame collapsed. One news program stated that as his fame took a downturn he could not even find an audience at a free concert in a shopping mall. Indeed, the public is extremely fickle towards those who attain celebrity status. For a while the news and TV were filled with Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana), The Jonas Brothers, and Lady Gaga, yet their fame appears to be dwindling.
Consider that of all the trends, people, and fads which have captured peoples’ attention the gospel has remained consistent. Since the Lord Jesus first began His public ministry people have been touched by the power of what He had to say, what He did, and what He was all about. Jesus isn’t a fad which is about to go away. The gospel continues to go out and touch peoples’ lives all around the world. People will become famous and rise to celebrity status, and then just as quickly they will fade away. Yet Jesus remains our Lord and Savior, and He continues to transform people in positive ways.
As Jesus’ followers let us not grow weary or discouraged thinking that what Christ offers is no longer relevant. Countless people in Jesus’ day thought He was irrelevant to them, yet the message continued to grow. Down through the ages some have even sought to silence the message of the gospel, and yet it continued to move forward. My prayer for us today is that we will be faithful to the Great Commission given to us by the Lord that we go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 29:18).
In a world of instability and hopelessness Jesus offers hope and stability. Jesus offers light and life in a world shrouded in the darkness of sin and misery. Let us never tire of going and telling, and being His disciples. We have been given our commission. Let us strive to be faithful to the Lord every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment