"Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!" NM 11:29
The law can only go so far. Moses knew this, and so did Jesus. In the book of Numbers we read about Moses seeking help to do all the works of God. Overwhelmed with too much to do (sound familiar?), Moses empowers seventy elders to help him do God's work and to prophesy. When two men, Eldad and Medad, who were not among the seventy Moses commissioned, start prophysying, Joshua is alarmed that the words of God will be muddied and tells Moses to stop them. Moses doesn't hesitate at all. Let Eldad and Medad be, he insists, because they are believers and good men. But Moses goes furthe, encouraging all God's people to speak on behalf of God. How else, he must have wondered, would the Word of God spread and all people learn of God's meciful love.
Today, especially in the light of the secual abuse scandal, it once again seems necessary for all Christain people to preach, not only in word but with their lives, about the saving love of God in Jesus Christ. When bishops and priests fail to announce the Good News with power, even distort it because they are afaid they will lose their influence and prestige, something new has to emerge. Jesus spoke of this clearly especially when he told the people listening to him not to live like the Pharisees and Sadducees who only laid heavy burdens of people and did nothing to life them up in hope. Clearly, we need prophetic voices in our church to make sure the Gospel is heard and lived. We should not worry overly much about who preaches it.
Today, take a moment to be grateful for your faith life and tell someone about it.
Who has helped you deepen your faith life in dark times?
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