Stress Test Devotional April 27
April 27, 2024
LUKE 24:44-49 | Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
The worldwide character of the Christian faith is a unique phenomenon in world history. It is a strongly suggestive reality, given the barriers to such a progression. Despite political resistance, the hostile attitudes of other regions, and the challenge of “particularity,” Christianity has been embraced by the world. Interestingly, Judaism, which birthed Christianity, is not a global religion and has about 14 million adherents around the world. How does a “sect” of Judaism, which an obscure founder who was crucified for sedition, somehow develop beyond the cultural limitations of first century Palestine and became the world’s largest and most widespread movement?
Much of the work has been salt-like, invisible, and individual. Followers have simply lived out the truth of their faith in acts of love and mercy, sharing and caring in their workplaces and neighborhoods.
How do you explain the particularity and universality of our faith?
How are you “changing the flavor” of the places you live and work?
