It’s dinner time, you are all seated around the table, the food is being served and just as you are ready to take the first mouthwatering bite of food, the phone rings. You put down your fork to answer the call and like many times before, silence. The line is dead, no one is on the other end. Or, on the flip side you are hit with a long verbal stream of words that leaves everyone around the table curious about what is being said. Either way, you hang up and continue with the task at hand.
Judes short letter in the New Testament letter was addressed “To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:” If you investigate the Greek word “klētos” translated as “called”, you get a better understanding of its purpose in the text. “Klētos” implies a meaning of relationship and/or task. In Romans 1:1 Paul introduces himself as “a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.” In Matthew chapter 22:14 the word is also used as an invitation into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
So, if Paul, who identifies as a servant of Jesus Christ and Jude who follows suit, have been “called” (like the recipients of the letters they have written), who is doing the calling? And what is the “call” all about?
God is the one who is calling!
Why? Since the fall of man, when sin became entangled in the fabric of human life, (causing separation between God and man) God has been calling his children back into a right relationship with him.
What is this call all about and what does this have to do with us today? The pinnacle of the creation story comes when God masterfully created and walked with and talked with man and woman. Unfortunately, their perfect relationship was severed by sin and shame. God, in his infinite love for humankind offered up a way for us to be in relationship with him. Through the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus on the cross we experience his incredible grace, mercy, forgiveness and promise of eternal life in relationship with him again.
The message of the Gospel continues to be the “script” of the call that God has for all his people. “klētos” is a call to relationship, this bond we have with our Father in heaven is also a call to action or task. As we grow in our relationship with Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we become image bearers of who he is. We become agents (disciples) of Jesus with the task of speaking the good news of the gospel to others.
Jude accepted and understood God’s call in his life in a much different time than we live today. The message of the gospel is timeless. The call from God to his people (then and now) is the exact same. There is no time and place that I could imagine where God will not be on the other end of that call. He is always present, waiting and listening to begin a new and beautiful relationship with anyone who answers.
Many have answered the call from God, finding peace and promise in his message. Some have “hung up” on the caller and chosen to ignore this life-giving news. Others, for many reasons have not even received the call yet. It is our job as the “called” to be the extension for the “divine operator”. Who is your next call going to be to?
You have probably heard the statement “in one ear and out the other”, this implies the person or people you are talking to are in the room and for whatever reason your words or message didn’t sink in. This might seem like an odd question but have you ever tried talking to a brick wall? Brick walls don’t listen. In fact, your voice, the words you speak will bounce back from the hard surface and come back at you like a “slap in the face”. Brick walls are not only hard to break down, it is even difficult to put a hole in one so you can reach the other side.
There are some big things that some in small packages. It could be an engagement ring in a small black box that initiates a new commitment for a lifetime of love and learning, maybe it is the moment the relator hands over the keys to your new house or it is the birth of your first, second or third child. Each one of these things may seem to be small but each carry a huge amount of care and responsibility in our lives. The physical and emotional nature of rings, keys and the gift of children make a large impact in our lives, but so can the words we say or read.
I recently visited a local Starbucks establishment to talk with a friend, as I waited around for my drink order this advertisement caught my attention. “It’s easy to get lost in the moment over a robust cup of your favorite dark-roasted coffee. Fuller-bodied and bold, these coffees feature robust flavors and a lush mouthfeel. Each cup is full of enough body and intrigue to entrance the senses until the last drop.” This well written script makes a good attempt at “selling” me the experience of a great cup of coffee, the play to our senses and the use of powerful descriptive words is very effective.
One of the first words that comes from the mouths of babes can be singled out as one of the most powerful two letter words in the English language. It translates easily from one language to another, it is a word that is recognized across most every culture and anyone can use a simple hand gesture to get its message across. Printed on a ballot, this word has the ability change the most powerful leadership regime, this seemingly small word has the potential to change the direction of one’s life.
steveworkingthroughtheword.com 