As the early church continued to spread the Good News of
God’s forgiveness, the church continued to grow. St. Luke summarizes this
growth in this manner:
“God has granted repentance that leads to life” (Acts
11:18).
What is repentance? To repent is to have a change of mind.
Of course, the question must be asked, “Change of mind about what?” In the
context of the passage, the change of mind has to do with who do you think
Jesus is. Remember the challenge recorded in the 8th Chapter of the
Acts of the Holy Spirit – do you worship Caesar or Jesus?
What might be the modern day equivalent? Do you worship the
American flag or Jesus? Do you put a flag in a sanctuary dedicated to worship
Jesus? Do you try to obfuscate your materialism by putting “In God We Trust” on
your money? Do you play patriotic music during your worship service when your
country goes to war?
Jesus demands no sharing of our affection. We need
redemption from our attachment to the kingdom of this world. We need to repent
of our worship of this world and our trust in our nation’s armaments. Jesus
told us, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and
all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
God, grant us the gift of a change of mind that leads to
LIFE.
Ronald Friesen © 2015
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