The Ones Who Make a Difference
Keri Wyatt Kent
posted 10/02/2009
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As a children's ministry leader, you are making a difference. To love and guide a child is an opportunity to not only influence a generation, but to change the world. It may seem like a big job with small recognition. It may seem overwhelming. But what you are doing matters. This month's "For Your Soul" column is an excerpt from my new book, Simple Compassion: Devotions to Make a Difference in Your Neighborhood and Your World (Zondervan). I hope you'll be encouraged and equipped to continue changing the world one life at a time.
I love reading the gospels. They tell the story of Jesus' life on earth. After a brief mention of his birth and childhood, they focus on the last three years of his life, when he traveled around, teaching and preaching, just living life with a band of followers. Everything from bread to bushes provided object lessons as Jesus tried to tell them about the kingdom of God. Which, he said, was not a someday pie-in-the-sky promise, but a here and now reality. The kingdom of God is among you, he said. It's within you.
Jesus leaned into his calling, which, according to Luke 4:18-19, was to "preach the good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners, give sight to the blind, release the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." As he did what God had called him to do, the people around changed. They were, in many ways, reborn. Not by saying a certain prayer, but by simply engaging in relationship with him. Their priorities shifted, and nothing was the same—it was as if they were all new people. In part, because he taught and helped them; but also—and this is the amazing part of love—because of their role in helping him as well.
Luke's account of Jesus' life reflects the meticulous attention to detail that you'd expect from a physician (Luke's profession). He provides more detail about Jesus' disciples than the other gospels. In addition to the twelve followers which he had designated as "apostles"—those who could pass his teachings along to others—he also had a larger group of disciples—people who followed him, who participated in his ministry, who believed or at least hoped he was the Messiah.
In Luke 6:12-16, we read that Jesus "called disciples to him, and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles." Clearly the group of people called "disciples" was bigger than twelve. Acts 1 also talks about the disciples choosing a replacement for Judas after Jesus' death from among those disciples who had "been with us the whole time."
That larger group included both men and women. All of them tried to live as their rabbi did. They didn't just agree with him theologically or philosophically; they dedicated themselves to doing what he did, living has he lived. They wanted to be like him. They literally followed him.
Luke 8:1-3 notes: After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
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