“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”
1 Peter 2:9 NLT
Peter wrote “he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light”. Did we pilgrims hear a call when we decided to believe in Jesus? Was that a call or a decision? And did we feel we were in a dark place? Of course, for some this is exactly how it happened. Perhaps a person was living a normal life when, suddenly out of nowhere, everything collapsed like a house of cards. A marriage broke up. The illness of a loved one was announced as terminal. A job was lost. Many things can conspire to disturb the status quo and leave us in a dark place. Dark because there seems no way out. For other people the darkness of their previous lives only becomes exposed when they find themselves living in the light of God’s presence. After they make that so important decision to follow Christ.
So, was it a call we heard? We read in Matthew 4:19-22 the calling of the first disciples. “Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him. A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.” Then there was the “calling” of Zaccheus. Luke 19:5, “When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”” Those “callings” were dramatic and immediate. But on 21st Century Planet Earth, Jesus is not physically present to do the calling. He has delegated the task to us pilgrims. We get a glimpse of how this might work from the calling of Levi (Matthew). Jesus called him to follow Him, and the first thing he did was to hold a party. We read in Luke 5:29, “Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honour. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them”. The natural thing for Levi to do was to introduce his friends and acquaintances to Jesus.
We pilgrims have responded to the call of Jesus in our lives. Did we hear a “call”? Perhaps it was something less tangible, but the Holy Spirit within us was the key. We read in John 16:8 about the work of the Holy Spirit, “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment”. We today are commissioned to tell the world about Jesus and His saving grace. But the Holy Spirit does the “calling” in our hearers’ lives. To facilitate the process, perhaps we, like Levi, should also hold a party, with Jesus the guest of honour.
Who have we shared the Good News about Jesus with lately? Do our lives measure up to promote the Gospel? Or are they just like anyone else’s? Do we have the message on the tip of our tongues, ready to share at the first opportunity? The world about us has lost its way, becoming confused by so many unnecessary issues. Confusion about gender, education, origins, finances – the list seems endless. But it is only we called ones who have the answers. The darkness around us needs the light, the light that can only be found through God. Who else will light up the world around us, if not us pilgrims?
Father God. You are the Light of the world, but we are Your reflectors. Please help us to shine with the light of Your presence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 