But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5
The impatience, impenitence, pace and unbelief that characterize big cities are enough to create prejudices that turn can turn off the undetermined! Yet as it was in Capernaum there definitely would be in your city the genuinely needy who will be drawn to your active witness. Consider the events recorded in:
- Mark 2:1-10;
- Luke 7:1-10;
- Matthew 15:21-28; and indeed in summarized in
- Matthew 8:1-16
It was from the same Capernaum and in Sidon that these outstanding testimonies of faith in Christ emanated.
The Romans had military control of Israel and the fact that they allowed some religious freedom as a political strategy to keep down revolts did not deter the Lord from preaching there; neither did it prejudice the Lord from acknowledging the faith shown by that centurion. It is said that the synagogue built by this centurion became a platform for extensive teachings by the Lord. What opportunity loss would prejudice have caused the ministry of the gospel!
The disposition of Jewry to the Lord did not shut Him off from responding to their call to Him to show compassion and respond to the need of the ‘despised’ Roman rulers! The gospel was God’s appeal to all men to be reconciled to Him. Why would you create enmity where God wants to pull such down? Let us examine ourselves and see what’s keeping us from keeping the admonition of Paul to Timothy in our text. Let us earnestly seek the Lord for courage to get off our prejudices to our environment and preach the gospel of the kingdom in our environment. Shalom
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