Jesus’ question in Luke 18:8, whether He will find faith on earth at His return, is profound and encourages us to reflect on the kind of faith Jesus seeks. The faith Jesus seeks is not merely superficial; it is a living, active faith that shines even in the midst of darkness.

The sections in Matthew and Mark that highlight people with great faith show that this faith can be found in unexpected places and in unusual people. The converted Gentile centurion, the friends who tear open the roof, blind Bartimaeus – they all demonstrate that faith knows no bounds. It can be present in a Gentile centurion as much as in a former blind man in a dark city.

However, it is also noteworthy that even among God’s people, especially in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth, faith could be limited or even absent. Jesus refers to His own community as “little faith” and “unbelieving and perverse generation.” This reminds us that faith is not guaranteed by external affiliation or tradition.

The application for today lies in realizing that faith is not confined to specific places, nations, or religious backgrounds. Faith can shine in cities, among foreigners, heathens, and people of other religions. Therefore, as followers of Christ, we are called to humbly go into the cities, just as Jesus did, and seek those who, when they hear the truth, will respond with a saving faith in Jesus. It requires an attitude of humility, openness, and love to recognize and nurture faith in the most unexpected places and people.

Challenge: Open your heart in prayer for a greater measure of faith to share your love with people near and far.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come before you in humility, bringing my heart and soul to you. You know the depths of my being and my desire to experience more of your faith within me. Today, I am challenged to open my heart in prayer for a greater measure of faith to share your love with people near and far.

I acknowledge that my faith is often limited, and sometimes I let external circumstances, prejudices, or comfort influence me. Yet, I long to believe as the people in the Scriptures who shone in their diversity and unwavering faith. Let your Holy Spirit work in my heart and deepen my faith.

Help me penetrate the darkness around me with the light of your love. Open my eyes to the people seeking hope, whether nearby or in distant lands. May my heart be sensitive to the needs of those I might have overlooked.

I pray for a greater measure of faith that empowers me to boldly go into the cities without being guided by prejudices or fears. May my faith be strong enough to embrace the challenges of mission in the cities and carry your love to people of any origin, nationality, or religion they belong to.

Father, I trust that you hear and answer my prayer. May your Spirit work in me and make me a tool of your love and faith. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Challenge Plus: How did you come to know Jesus and the precious Three Angels’ Messages? List three spiritual blessings you have received from Jesus in your life. Prepare to talk about it on Sabbath.

Getting to know Jesus: Many people come to know Jesus in various ways, whether through personal Bible studies, worship services, Christian communities, or personal conversion experiences. The relationship with Jesus can deepen over time and be strengthened through prayer, Bible study, and community.

Getting to know the Three Angels’ Messages: The Three Angels’ Messages are a central doctrine in Adventist theology. They are based on the biblical texts Revelation 14:6–12 and proclaim the eternal good news calling for repentance and pointing to the upcoming judgment and the second coming of Christ.

Three spiritual blessings from Jesus:

1. Salvation and Forgiveness: Through faith in Jesus as my Redeemer, I have experienced the blessing of forgiveness of my sins and the assurance of eternal salvation.

2. God’s Presence in Prayer: The opportunity to have a personal relationship with God through prayer is a blessing that provides peace, comfort, and guidance in various life situations.

3. Fellowship of Believers: The Christian community, where people encourage, support, and experience God’s love together, is a blessing made possible by Jesus.

If you want to talk about this on Sabbath, remember that it is important to speak authentically about your personal experiences and how your faith and relationship with Jesus have influenced your life. Share the blessings you have found in your faith journey and encourage others to share their personal experiences as well.

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/lesson-11-mission-to-the-unreached-part-2-11-5-faith-on-earth/

Sam and David interview a modern missionary, Amy Whitsett, about her experiences of ten years of missionary service in the Lao Democratic People’s Republic, and then six years in Thailand; and about her current work as Associate Director of the Church’s Institute of World Mission.

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/mission-150-episode-30-a-modern-missionary-to-southeast-asia/

The section “Send them away!” urges us to recognize and overcome the mistakes of the past that prevented the people of God at the time of Christ from bringing the hope of the Messiah to unreached areas like Tyre and Sidon. Nationalism, pride, and prejudice made the people blind to the longing for hope in the hearts of those who seemed foreign to them. Today, in our cities, there are still diverse population groups seeking the “blessed hope” of the gospel.

The lesson from Acts 10:9–16, 28, 34–35 emphasizes the crucial change in Peter’s mindset. Through the vision of the sheet with unclean animals, he realized that God does not show partiality and that people from all nations, who fear God and practice righteousness, are pleasing to Him. This realization led Peter to overcome his religious pride and narrow-mindedness towards the Gentiles.

Jesus’ interaction with the mother in Tyre and Sidon, described as a Gentile and Canaanite, highlights similar lessons. The disciples learned that God’s love and hope apply to all people, regardless of their ethnic or cultural background. These teachings are closely related to Peter’s vision and underscore the importance of overcoming prejudices and narrow-mindedness to fulfill God’s mission in the cities.

For us today, questions about our own prejudices and limitations are crucial. What prejudices hinder us from seeing the needs of urban dwellers? What opportunities has God given us in the cities to expand our understanding of mission? These questions challenge us to honestly confront our own nationalism, bigotry, and spiritual pride. Just as Jesus patiently taught His disciples, we too can develop the ability, through the Holy Spirit, to overcome our prejudices and fulfill our mission in the cities.

Read Galatians 2:11–13. What does this teach us about how challenging it can be to free ourselves from the prejudices taught to us from childhood?

“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?’” Galatians 2:11–13

These verses recount a situation where the apostle Peter (Cephas) is confronted about his behavior towards non-Jews. Peter withdrew from eating with Gentiles when certain men from James came, fearing the party that insisted on maintaining the separation between Jews and Gentiles.

The lesson we can learn from this incident shows how challenging it can be to free ourselves from the prejudices taught to us from childhood. Peter, despite being an apostle, allowed himself to be influenced by cultural and ethnic prejudices. He deviated from the truth of the gospel, leading others, including Barnabas, with him.

This incident reminds us that even people in the followership of Jesus can face challenges in overcoming prejudices and deeply rooted cultural beliefs. It illustrates how important it is to constantly remember that the gospel reaches all people without distinction and that our lifestyle and interactions should align with this truth. The liberation from prejudices often requires courage, self-reflection, and the willingness to step out of our comfort zones. This Bible passage reminds us that no one is immune to prejudices and encourages us to continually align ourselves with the truth of the gospel, calling all people to a united community in Christ.

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/lesson-11-mission-to-the-unreached-part-2-11-4-send-her-away/

The portrayal of the woman in the accounts of Matthew 15:22–28 and Mark 7:24–30 vividly illustrates how the evangelists shaped their narratives with respect to their respective audiences. The differences in describing the woman as a “Canaanite” in Matthew or as a “Greek from Syrophoenicia” in Mark provide insights into the varied perspectives and backgrounds of their intended listeners.

Matthew, likely writing for a Jewish audience, emphasizes the woman’s ethnic identity as a Canaanite. This may evoke historically conditioned prejudices and aversions towards the Canaanites, described in the Old Testament as idolaters and stumbling blocks for the Israelites. The disciples’ hesitation toward the woman’s request reflects these prejudices and highlights how deeply rooted such attitudes were in Jewish society.

Mark, on the other hand, addressing a likely Gentile audience, opts for a more nuanced description of the woman. He not only emphasizes her ethnic affiliation as Greek but also adds the note of her being from Syrophoenicia. This apparent cultural richness might be of greater interest and understanding to his audience. The woman’s reaction may thus be shaped not by prejudices but by compassion and universal concern for her daughter’s well-being.

Jesus’ strategy of not immediately responding to the woman’s plea indicates a deeper intention. Through this action, he aimed not only to move the hearts of the disciples and challenge their preconceived notions but also to highlight the difference in perception between Jews and Gentiles. The encounter with this woman was a living demonstration of Jesus’ compassionate love and grace transcending ethnic and national boundaries.

In this context, it becomes clear how crucial it is to understand the cultural, historical, and social backgrounds of the Gospel texts to grasp their messages in their original intent and impact.

Read 1 John 2:2. What should this text tell us about being equal before God?

“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2

This verse emphasizes the universal significance of Jesus Christ as the propitiator for the sins of the whole world. The message that Jesus is the “propitiation for our sins” means that through his death on the cross, he has created the possibility of forgiveness and reconciliation with God for all people.

This statement underscores the equality of all people before God in terms of the opportunity for redemption. Regardless of ethnic background, social status, or other external distinctions, everyone has the same opportunity to be freed from sins through faith in Jesus Christ and to have a relationship with God.

The verse reminds us that God’s love and redemption are not limited to a specific group but are accessible to all people. The concept of equality before God is based on God’s all-encompassing love and his desire for all people to be saved (cf. 1 Timothy 2:4).

Considering this text, Christians should strive to extend God’s universal love and treat others, regardless of their differences, with love, respect, and mercy.

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/lesson-11-mission-to-the-unreached-part-2-11-3-in-tyre-and-sidon/

The mission among the crowds, as described in Matthew 9:35–38, reveals Jesus’ compassionate attitude toward the “faceless masses” in the cities. Jesus had deep compassion for the crowds, even leading him to weep over Jerusalem in Luke 19:41. This highlights Jesus’ extraordinary love for all people, even those in the bustling and often anonymous environments of the cities.

The call to prayer in Matthew 9:38 indicates that our motives and hearts should align with those of Jesus when engaging in urban mission. This underscores the importance of a deep spiritual connection to reflect Christ’s love and compassion for the masses in the cities.

Matthew 4:23–25 reveals the geographic diversity of people that Jesus attracted to his ministry. They came from various regions, including Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea. Jesus’ intentional journey to the region of Tyre and Sidon, as mentioned in Matthew 4:25, emphasizes the cross-cultural nature of his mission travels. By looking at the cities of Tyre and Sidon on the coast of Phoenicia, Jesus opened up the possibility of mission in culturally diverse and pagan areas to his disciples.

The account of Jesus leaving the city of Capernaum and going into the hilly land bordering Phoenicia vividly portrays Jesus’ deliberate decision to face the challenges and opportunities of urban mission. His journey to this region was more than geographically motivated – it was a conscious engagement with the cultural diversity and spiritual needs of people in the cities. This serves as an encouraging example of how we can actively participate in urban mission today by sharing Jesus’ love and compassion for the masses in the cities.

How can we help people recognize the emptiness of “their magnificent palaces” and “great markets” in and of themselves and why they need Jesus?

The challenge of helping people who consider the apparent splendor and wealth of their circumstances as the essential elements of life is a crucial aspect of evangelism. Here are some approaches to help people recognize the emptiness of material prosperity without Jesus:

1. Share Testimony: Share how your life has been enriched through your relationship with Jesus Christ. Emphasize how this relationship has brought deeper meaning and purpose to your life beyond material possessions.

2. Biblical Perspective: Use biblical stories and teachings to emphasize the transience of worldly riches. Examples like the rich fool in the story of the “Rich Fool” (Luke 12:16–21) can illustrate that true fulfillment is not achieved through material possession alone.

3. Emphasize Community: Highlight that true joy and fulfillment are often found through interpersonal relationships and community. Jesus emphasized the importance of love, compassion, and caring for one another.

4. Highlight the Common Good: Point out that the pursuit of personal wealth does not necessarily lead to a fulfilled life. Engaging in charitable activities and helping others can bring a deeper sense of purpose and satisfaction.

5. Emphasize God’s Love: Emphasize God’s unconditional love and how this love offers a deeper, lasting fulfillment than material goods. Show that true fulfillment lies in the relationship with God.

6. Explore the Meaning of Life: Invite people to explore the meaning of life together. Discuss philosophical questions and emphasize how faith in Jesus Christ can provide answers to existential questions.

7. Respect the Search for Meaning: Respect each individual’s search for meaning and purpose. Ensure that conversations are conducted with empathy and without judgment.

8. Prayer: Pray for people, asking God to open their hearts to recognize the emptiness of material prosperity without a relationship with Jesus.

Through these approaches, people can be encouraged to look beyond the superficial splendor of material wealth and discover the deeper meaning and fulfillment found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/lesson-11-mission-to-the-unreached-part-2-11-2-seeking-the-multitudes/