To Be a Witness to the Risen Jesus Christ

Luke 24:36-48 (NRSV): To Be a Witness

Then [the risen Jesus] opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

As a father, I face the daily challenge of witnessing to what is good. I want my children to understand the difference between virtue and vice. And it is my prayer that they choose virtue. Now, I can talk the talk, but my children do not hear my words as much as they observe my actions. Practicing is far more important than preaching. Some might even say that we preach through what we practice.

In the above passage from Luke, Jesus commissions the apostles to go out and preach the good news “to all nations.” The message is simple yet profound: Through faith in Christ and turning away from the vice of our sins, we are forgiven. But this commission is not just for those initial apostles 2,000 years ago; it is a commission for us today. Through our lived experience, we are to be “witnesses of these things.”

To be a witness for Christ is multifaceted, but it all starts with God’s free, unmerited grace. Through grace we are given the gift of faith, and in that faith it is our choice to live out lives of love, imitating the agape (self-giving love) that Jesus modeled for us all the way to the cross. The agape that we are called to imitate, however, is related to our position in life. Are we praying for the holy Spirit enlighten us? What might our witnessing call be in this life?

As servants to others, we are called to give our time and talent to the individual and group. This is not a half-hearted call, although I often do not give my whole heart to it. It is why repentance is such an important part of the Christian life. Each day, I have to ask for the grace to be better, to serve with the unconditional love of my God who offered himself up as a condemned criminal for my sins. Whenever I ask: How much is enough, Lord? All I have to do is look at a crucifix. The answer is plain.

Where is God calling us to serve? It is not usually the in grandiose religious context we envision, but it is in the small spaces of our lives and with the people closest to us. For it is those spaces and people that I most take for granted.

Heavenly Father, grant us the grace to serve with love and attention those whom you place in our midst. Allow us to be fully-committed witnesses to the love and healing grace of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan