DIVINE SURPLUS

DIVINE SURPLUS:

The Twelve Disciples were a disaster for the most part. Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry they perpetually missed the boat. Prior to the Resurrection those Twelve ordinary guys frequently found ways to botch, blunder, and mangle the gospel. Jesus never recruited the religious rockstars; in fact He called those buffoons “hypocrites,” “whitewashed tombs,” and “children of hell.” In one of those embarrassingly cringe-worthy occasions we read about Jesus feeding five thousand (Mark 6:30-44)...

The Twelve had just returned from a short-term mission trip where they had preached repentance, healed the sick, and even cast out demons! By worldly standards that sounds like a victory and cause to celebrate, but Jesus knew what was in their hearts. Those twelve guys came back with swollen egos. We know this because we read, “The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.” Jesus’ response was, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place…”

They really didn’t have to go anywhere because it turns out that the desolate place was inside them. In 6:34 Jesus looked out with compassion and saw a flock of lost sheep without a shepherd; contrastingly in v.36 the Twelve said, “Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages…” Where Jesus saw a rich opportunity for ministry the Twelve saw nothing but tedious work, hopelessness, impossibility, and frustration. Indeed, Jesus brought them to a truly desolate place.

The beauty of the gospel is that Jesus never fails to see ordinary people in ordinary circumstances as tremendous opportunity for ministry. That’s why He came. That’s why He died for us - for you. Often times our expectation is for Jesus to provide for things we’ve determined are the most pressing - the most important. Frequently we, like the Twelve, want power and miracles, but we ignore and forget the source; we forget Jesus.

Jesus often brings us to a desolate place where we not only see the selfish desolation of our own hearts, but simultaneously that which is most important to Him, i.e. people. Then we see the truly miraculous as He turns our depravity, desolation, and inability into gracious provision and our personal deficit into a ridiculous surplus. That’s the kind of ministry and mission Jesus has always been a part of through ordinary, blundering, bungling knuckleheads. He’s not looking for, nor does He use, whitewashed religious rockstars. He uses ordinary men and women who have been brought to that desolate place and come out the other side with a surplus of faith. That’s the humble ministry, and glorious mission, He’s inviting you into as well.

Blessings,

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com