Re:Verse passage – Matthew 28:18-20 (day six)
But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20
John and Peter were picked up, jailed and beaten, and then commanded never to talk about Jesus again. They were living the Great Commission, even at great cost to themselves. What I find interesting is their response to their captors. They couldn’t help but speak of what they’ve seen and heard.
This begs a lot of questions for western Christians who clearly struggle with telling others the story of Jesus, for somehow we can help it, at least more often than not. Why exactly is that the case? Of course, our schedules are busy, and some feel ill equipped; many of us are just scared or it simply doesn’t cross our minds. But what if the most important reason is, we simply have seen and heard so little of Jesus in our own lives, he has become inconsequential? He’s an occasional thought, or a tiny blip on the radar of our lives, but not enough to shape the stories we tell; we literally have nothing to say.
That can change, you know? Jesus is speaking; he is at work, you only have to listen and watch.
WOW! What an indictment of the modern American Church. I pray that we may be more focused on Jesus so that we can share more of “what we have seen and heard”. I pray that God moves in our lives through the preaching and teaching of the Word so that we can not help but share the Good News. Thank you for another solid word, Danny.
Amen!