Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash 

Dear Body of Christ,

Life can be a search for our purpose. Along the way, we sometimes get a lot of help – teachers, counselors, and friends. For example, everyone seemed to think I should be a doctor or engineer. So that’s what I tried – I studied and survived engineering school. Later in life, our purpose may change. For me, many told me I was a good teacher. Maybe, being an engineer, I should teach high school math or science. Fortunately, somebody else told me about His purpose for me. It was teaching, but a little different kind than most, myself included, envisioned.

Jesus had some help too. Luke’s gospel describes the start of Jesus’ ministry with the devil telling Him what he thinks His purpose is while in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13). Then, after declaring Isaiah’s prophecy to be fulfilled in His hometown synagogue (Luke 4:21), Jesus goes on a demon exorcising and healing spree. Not a bad thing, but people get the idea His purpose is to do just that, to be the local demon exorciser and healer to point He couldn’t get any rest. He even goes out into the sticks where people find Him bringing all their sick and demon possessed along. But Jesus announces His real purpose, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns as well” (Luke 4:43). The healings and such were not His purpose, they were simply signs of who He is – the Son of God.

In the world today, we are right to call on Jesus for help, for healing, for anything. But His purpose is not to grant us temporal benefits. Sometimes He does, but that’s not His purpose. His purpose – to deliver the good news of the kingdom of God to us too. That through Him – His life, death, and resurrection – we have healing from sin and eternal life in the kingdom of God where there is no longer any sickness, suffering, or attacks from the evil one. Jesus has fulfilled His purpose for us. Thanks be to God!

In Christ’s Love,

                                                                      Pastor Jim