Sons and Daughters

What would it take for God to be made known in Zion Bishan? This question was posed to us in the sermon on John 10:22-39.

Some time back, I spoke about how God is passionate that His people practice justice and righteousness. When we explore God’s word, it will be clear that these concepts will include reaching out to the broken, the last, the lost and the least. In fact, going by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:31-46 (The Sheep and the Goats parable), when the Day of Judgment comes, we will be judged by how we have treated the broken, the last, the lost and the least.

Jesus’ sheep know Him so well that they will practice justice and righteousness. And He will commend His own for that. He will commend them because they would have been practicing God-like values. (Christ-like, if you’d rather.) They would be showing what it means to be made in the image of God. To be holy, just as their Father is holy.

What troubles me is that during Jesus’ time, the leaders of God’s people blew it. They were so obsessed with ‘legalistic rightness’ that they missed out on the heavy things of God. Just read Matthew 23:23: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness.

If they missed it, will we as well?

Not that I want to place heavy burdens on us, but on these matters hang the hopes and dreams of all creation — which groans for the revealing of the sons of God (Romans 8:19) — i.e. that God’s people will live out all that they were called to be!

For starters, let’s look within our own community. How will we reach out to the broken, the last, the lost and the least in the very midst of our church community?

Next, let’s consider the Bishan neighbourhood and beyond: who are the needy ones, and how shall we reach out to them?

Truly may the good news of Jesus Christ be adorned with the good works of His people (Titus 2:10), so that others may see that God dwells among His people — the sons and daughters of God.

by Ng Zhiwen