The work of a minister is sowing seeds in faith, believing that the real fruit of one's labor will only be revealed in time to come. Unlike building a house, or some other work that produces an immediate tangible result, so much of I what I do is a sort of spiritual investment. One day Christ will reveal the true value of my ministry (a ministry which is really his, and not "mine"), and my prayer is that it will be well pleasing to him. All the same, I am heartened by such expressions of appreciation as I received today.
Today was another full day of preaching and teaching. I led the Sunday School class on Genesis 3, focusing on God's response to Adam and Eve's sin. There wasn't as much discussion this time as there was last Sunday, but I think the class was profitable.
In the morning, I preached from Matthew 20:29-34, which is the account of Jesus healing two blind men outside of Jericho. What would it have been like to have been blind one's whole life, and then to suddenly see? Though I try to avoid speculation, I said that I had to believe that the very first thing the two men saw was the face of Jesus smiling upon them. The theme of the sermon was the faith of the two men, by which they called out to Jesus, were healed by Jesus, and became followers of Jesus.
In the evening it was Romans 7:1-6. We have died to the law, and are now alive to Christ. I don't think I'll ever fully grasp the deep complexity of the Bible's teaching on the relationship of law and gospel for believers.
And now as I write this, Robyn is sitting next to me with Monica in her arms. The other four are in bed, and the house is blissfully quiet. It's been another long Sunday, and I'm ready for a good night's sleep.
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