Narrative Reading, Narrative Preaching: Reuniting New Testament Interpretation and Proclamation by Joel B. Green

Author:Joel B. Green [Green, Joel B.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: REL080000, REL006400
ISBN: 9781441206541
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2003-12-01T05:00:00+00:00

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; . . . For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:11–6:2)

Presumably, before this war began, the president sent his ambassador to attempt to reason with Saddam. I hope so. When the ambassador is there, it’s just like the president himself is there.

Paul says, in Christ, you’ve had your citizenship in the Old World exchanged for a passport to the new. Not by what you or I did, but by what Christ did, you have been brought close to God. The cross, not the Stars and Stripes, gives you your marching orders. The main difference between you and most of the people in Iraq is not that you are a citizen of a righteous, pure, good, and victorious democracy, and they are not. The difference is that you know who sits on the throne, who is in charge, and most of them don’t. Tragically, too many of us act like we’re still citizens of the Old World. When the United States says “jump,” our only question is, “How high?” That morbid perspective, that “human point of view,” is a hard habit to break.

Thanks be to God, we’re citizens of a new creation. Moreover, we have our marching orders. To us has been entrusted the “ministry of reconciliation.” The “message of reconciliation has been entrusted to us.” Not just to me, the preacher, but also to you in your new status as “ambassadors for Christ.”

It’s an amazing claim to make for the church. The church is God’s embassy, that place from where Christ’s ambassadors are sent into the world. My job, as your pastor, is to help you see yourselves as Christ’s messengers and to help you get the message.

Paul says that in you God is making his appeal. In this letter I’m making my appeal to you. In your peace making, peace praying, peace living, God is appealing to the world.

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