Carrier

TITLE: Carrier
DATE:  September 11, 2019
TEXT:. 1 Peter 3:15  -ESV - 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

In the early decades of the 1900’s Mary Mallon was a cook in the homes of some wealthy New Yorkers. She was also the lady who was responsible for giving 51 of them Typhoid Fever. Three of the people infected died of the illness. You see, Mary carried the illness but never showed any symptoms.

Eventually, Typhoid Mary had to be kept from the common public for 23-years.  

Cut to the present day and a  New Zealand teenager who was vacationing in Southern California. As would be expected, she went to Disney and Universal Studios and some of the other tourist hot spots. Unfortunately, as she toured, she also infected many around her with measles.

No, at the time she was traveling she didn’t know she had  the disease. It was only after she was done with her travels that she was diagnosed, treated and made well.

Sadly, it is estimated that,, after exposure to the teen, 90% of all who were not vaccinated for the disease will come down with it.

How many were hit with the disease is unknown... but the figures should be coming in... including the figures of those who were infected by the folks who were made sick by the New Zealand girl on her vacation.

When I first read that story, I thought long and hard on how to come up with a good devotion.

It wasn’t easy. There were too many possibilities. Finally I ended up asking, “Spreading measles and typhoid is not a good thing. The results are tragic and deadly. But suppose it was possible to become a carrier of Christianity. Suppose 90% of all the unbelievers we met would want to know more about Jesus and eventually become believers. .

What would such a faith look like?

I think Peter (see above) and Paul (following) were describing such a faith when they wrote: (1 Corinthians 1: 1-8a)

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends.

That kind of Christian faith would truly be contagious.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, may I always bear witness to my Savior with my words and works. Let my life praise Him Who died to win my salvation. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/279618/unwelcome-disneyland-visitor-measles-virus.htmland the article written by editors of Newser and News Services.
The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html