How wonderful is it to receive a gift? Across many nations, bringing gifts to a friend or family member at different times of the year is as common as music or art. But why do people normally bring gifts to your home? The motivation for bringing a gift may be honour or good manners; whatever the reason or significance, it’s something we do as people.
The experience evokes emotions of happiness and thankfulness on a human level. It is beautiful to receive a gift, especially when you have not done anything to deserve it. However, I dare say we would struggle to give a gift to people who reject us or are an enemy. Sharing the Good news of Jesus is something Christians have been bringing to others since the apostles. Christ the King sends his people to share the Father’s gift to the lost (Isa 52:7 cf Mt 10:5–16, Mk 6:7–13; Lk 9:1–6 cf Acts 16-20).
What is striking about the Gift of Christ is that God the Father gave him to us whilst we were sinners (Rm 5:8). Paul in Romans echoes the words of the great scroll of Isaiah when he says: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Rm 10:15). Christ is the greatest gift ever given to a broken and fallen world where redemption is always necessary in every generation. We may struggle sometimes to know what our role exactly is within God’s Mission. Moreover, Romans tells us the common way God’s Mission is done is through his people (i.e. the Church).
The work of mission is not only a call for individuals to be sent out but also a call for every church. In fact, Christ called the eleven to partner in his Mission to seek and save the lost (Mt 28:16-20). Likewise, every Christian within a church is called to partner in this mission task.
Now, the faith or hesitation to Christ’s call can be either of our experiences in taking good news to others. The first disciples either worshipped or doubted (i.e. hesitation) when they saw the risen Lord Jesus. However, when Jesus promised them his presence forever, it would come through the power of the Spirit to remove any doubts or hinderances to the task (Acts 1-2).
We should take great comfort that God enables and empowers us to this work. Moreover, if we struggle with hesitation to partner in God’s Mission or lack direction, then we should pray and reflect with others on the things that hold us back from bringing the news of God’s gift to others today. May God grant us insight and understanding to his mission.
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收到一份禮物，是何等美好的一件事！
在許多國家和文化中，在一年不同的時候送禮物給朋友或家人，就像音樂或藝術一樣，是十分普遍的事情。但人們通常為甚麼會帶著禮物來到你的家中呢？送禮的動機可能是為了表達尊重、敬意，或只是出於禮貌；無論原因或意義是甚麼，送禮都是我們人與人之間常有的行為。
從人的角度來看，收到禮物會帶來喜樂和感恩的情感。收到一份禮物是美好的，尤其是當你根本沒有做任何事去配得這份禮物的時候。然而，我敢說，要我們送禮物給那些拒絕我們的人，甚至是我們的仇敵，我們恐怕會感到非常困難。
自從使徒時代開始，基督徒就一直將耶穌的福音帶給別人。基督這位君王差遣祂的子民，將天父賜給失喪之人的禮物傳揚出去（賽52:7；參太10:5–16；可6:7–13；路9:1–6；參徒16–20）。
基督這份禮物最令人震撼之處，在於當我們還是罪人的時候，父神就已經將祂賜給我們了（羅5:8）。保羅在《羅馬書》中呼應先知以賽亞書的話，說：「報福音的人，他們的腳蹤何等佳美！」（羅10:15）。
基督是賜給這個破碎、墮落世界最偉大的禮物。每一個世代都不斷需要救贖。我們有時可能很難確切知道，自己在神的使命中所扮演的角色是甚麼。此外，《羅馬書》告訴我們，神通常是透過祂的子民（也就是教會）來成就祂的使命。
宣教的工作不只是呼召個別信徒被差遣出去，也是對每一間教會的呼召。事實上，基督呼召十一位門徒與祂一同參與祂的使命，去尋找並拯救失喪的人（太28:16–20）。同樣地，每一位在教會中的基督徒，都蒙召一同參與這項使命的工作。
如今，對基督呼召的信心或遲疑，可能都是我們在將福音帶給別人時所經歷的其中一種情況。當第一批門徒看見復活的主耶穌時，有些人敬拜祂，有些人卻懷疑（也就是有所遲疑）。然而，當耶穌應許永遠與他們同在時，祂的同在將藉著聖靈的能力臨到他們，除去一切對這使命的疑惑和攔阻（徒1–2章）。
我們應當大大得著安慰，因為神親自賜我們能力和力量，使我們能夠參與這項工作。此外，如果我們在參與神的使命時有所遲疑，或缺乏方向，我們就應當禱告，並與其他人一同反思，究竟有哪些事情阻礙我們今天將神所賜的福音帶給別人。
願神賜給我們對祂的使命有更深的洞見和明白。
Rev. Adam Breasley
