The Call Back

TITLE: The Call Back
DATE:  October 20, 2019
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Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed.

TEXT:  Matt 26: 21-25 – ESV - And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”  22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” 23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” 5 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”  Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

Parents are almost always proud of their children.

Knowing that, the young, and inexperienced missionary said, "What a beautiful baby!" to the child’s mother. In almost every culture that mixture of flattery and observation would have been an appropriate thing to say.

Not in this one.

The Chinese mother gave him a look-that-could-kill,  a look signaling the missionary had made a major mistake. It was only late, when he was in the company of some older and more experienced pastors that he heard of the Chinese superstition which says children should never be complimented.

To compliment a child makes the evil spirits envious and encourages them to play havoc with the child’s life.  To fool those not-overly bright spirits, the missionary would have been better off saying something like, “What an ugly little child. There is no question in my mind that this is the plainest child who has been born in this province during the last century.”

Please do not try this unless you live in rural China 120 years ago,

Judas had no such kindly motivation when he lied to Jesus at the Last Supper.

 Sitting in the presence of Jesus,  Judas boldly denied he had any plans to betray the Savior. Ignoring Jesus, Who is trying to call Him back, Judas proclaims his innocence and hereby shows what a fine job the devil had done in the corruption of his heart.

The devil does a pretty good job on contemporary hearts as well.

I cannot give you an honest estimate of the number of parents who have  promised to bring their newly-baptized child to church....when the weeks and months which followed revealed they had no intention of keeping their promise.

I  would hate to place a number on the number of Confirmands who promised to be faithful until death, when they couldn’t even be faithful in attendance the following week.

 Jesus must be just as pained by their betrayal as He was at Judas'.

Now it is too late for anything to be done for the lost disciple, but there still is time to bring back those who have compromised their promises to the Lord. Pray that the true love of Jesus may touch these folks and the Holy Spirit may call them back to their Savior and Redeemer.

THE PRAYER: - Lord Jesus, You tried to call back the denying disciple, Judas. Please call back those in our church who have wandered from Your grace; who have forgotten the truth of Your cross. In Your Name Amen.

he 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