Ordinary or extraordinary?

Good morning. This is a devotional for single adults from Parenting Solo, but the message also applies to single adults without children who may one day marry a single parent and be a step-parent. Feel Free to forward it to a friend.

Scripture: Matthew 11:25-26 (The Message) Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”

Jesus has sent off the 12 disciples to share the Gospel throughout the world. Jesus has begun his three-year ministry by teaching and preaching in villages around Galilee. After Jesus placed the charge to his disciples, John the Baptist, who was locked up in prison, sent word to Jesus, asking if he were the Messiah. Jesus essentially said that he was the one they were awaiting. Then Jesus went to work in cities that had given the least response to his message of grace.

Christ wasn’t giving the message to the Pharisees or the Sanhedrin, the “sophisticates” of the Jewish culture, to whom Jesus referred. He was giving the message to the “ordinary” people. “Ordinary” as in not just pastors. Ordinary as in single adults. The sophisticates of the time were always thumbing their noses at the “ordinary” people. Imagine how it felt to be just “ordinary.” Yet Jesus was taking his message to the “ordinary” people first, telling them how special they were, telling them how much God loved them. Before Jesus, they felt left out of God’s kingdom plan.

Suddenly, the ordinary were the extraordinary and the sophisticates were the ones left out. Anyone who put their faith in God and understood that His grace covered their sins could have peace on earth and spend eternity in heaven with the Father. Imagine how refreshing that must have felt, how freeing that must have been. It was like Sally Fields at the Academy Awards: “You love me! You really love me!” The kingdom door was suddenly open to everyone.

So what does that mean to “ordinary” folks? There is a charge to this prayer. Jesus tells us “ordinary” believers to take his message to other “ordinary” people. His message is easy to hear from someone who has gone down that same path. Yes, God works in mysterious ways through “ordinary” people just like us. Single adults can do extraordinary things in the kingdom, if we only believe. If we think we are left out because of our earlier marital sins or that we have nothing to offer, then we will be left out of the fun. The fun is sharing Christ’s peace with those whose lives are in constant turmoil, then watching their lives change right before your eyes. People are looking for change, and if we offer them the world, they will remain lost. Offer them Christ and watch God work his miracles. God likes to work like that.

How does this apply to my life?

Today’s prayer: Lord, thank you for your special message for “ordinary” people. Help me to accept my role in the kingdom of sharing your grace with the lost. Amen

Doug Mead

Parenting Solo

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

Vol. 3, No. 81

This week’s reading plan can be found at http:/www.oneyearbibleonline.com/july.asp?version=51