Freely you have received, freely give

Being “out of your comfort zone” What might it mean for you or for me?  Doing a bungee jump or deep sea diving, having some stitches done or going to the dentist? For me it would be a park run.  Running is not my thing.  One definition I found: intentionally entering a psychological state where your abilities and determination are tested.  It involves leaving familiar routines and confronting uncertainty, which can trigger feelings of apprehension or excitement, but each leads to personal development and skill-building.

Our two readings today are complementary and speak about God’s unmerited grace and the active, compassionate mission for us as Christians.  That is the invitation to come into relationship with God and to tell others of that wonderful grace that he offers to each of us. Both may require us to step out of our comfort zone.

In Romans 5:1–8:  Paul speaks of Peace, Hope, and Unconditional Love and explores the life-changing benefits of justification by faith: 

Peace with God: In a place where we are reconciled with God and standing in His grace, we have peace with Him and with ourselves.

Hope: He follows a sequence of growth; suffering produces endurance, endurance builds character, and character leads to unshakeable hope. 

Unconditional love: God shows us His love by sending Jesus to die for us while we were sinners. 

Matthew 9:35–10:8: The Compassionate Mission 

Seeing the crowds “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd,” Jesus has compassion.  He instructs His followers to pray for labourers because the harvest is abundant, but workers are few.  Jesus calls His twelve disciples, renaming them apostles (“sent ones”), and equips them with His authority to continue His work “Freely you have received; freely give.”. 

How do we understand this for us today? Grace Received means Grace must be given Paul highlights that salvation is an entirely free gift given while we were undeserving sinners.  In Matthew Jesus challenges the disciples to go and share.  That impacts the way we live. “Freely you have received; freely give”. The healing and restoration they offer must echo the unearned grace they experienced. 

Jesus sent out the 12 to be like shepherds and he calls us to do the same. Are we responding to that?  God provides the deep internal security—peace with Him, his unconditional love holding us and hope poured out by the Holy Spirit.  This is what enables us to step out of our comfort zone.  We are called to leave a life lived purely for ourselves, and actively meet the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of the those to whom he calls us.  Surely this is other people?  God can’t possibly mean me? Stop and think about where you are now, of those you live with, your friends, maybe wider members of your family or those you work with. God may be calling you to come alongside them    The challenge is to move out of living lives for ourselves, in our comfort zone, to being there for others.

It might be about taking a risk to talk about God’s forgiveness and grace to someone, or demonstrating his love (actions speak louder than words), or maybe praying for someone, taking the risk to love, someone who it has been difficult to love, accepting difference in another in order to be reconciled, or to walk alongside someone, listen to them.  The challenge this week ahead is to be aware of any situations you might find yourself in and be willing to step out of your comfort zone to show God’s love to another person, or maybe even speak about God’s love to another person.  This is our compassionate mission – Jesus is calling us to this.

Be courageous, listen to the call, take the opportunity, dare to step into a place that we might have thought was uncomfortable and be those who freely give because we have freely received.

Helen Walley