As Christians we are obliged to preach the Gospel, to bring Jesus Christ to the world. This is our mission as a Church. I’m not making it up, it’s the last thing Jesus told us.
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
~ Matthew 28:19-20
We Catholics often take the famous words of St. Francis of Assisi, “preach the Gospel and when necessary use words”, as a cop out from this mission. Of course it is true that our witness and personal example is the best way we can show people who Jesus is, but this is not to say that we don’t need to tell people about Jesus. It goes hand in hand.
Our Christian witness is what will draw others in. By our example others should be inspired, not merely to be good people, but to be Godly people. This is what we are called to be. Again, this doesn’t free us from the duty and the privilege of proclaiming the Gospel message, of Jesus Christ, of God’s love and mercy. We should take pleasure in sharing Jesus Christ, not in beating people over the head with the Bible, but in sharing with them the truth that God is love.
Plant the Seed, Leave the Rest to God
So today I challenge you, as I challenge myself, to be a John the Baptist to someone. It doesn’t matter who, but it will probably work best if it is someone you know. It could be a friend, coworker, or family member. Tell them about God’s love, about Jesus Christ. The results are not in your hands. You can’t force God down their throat, but you can plant the seed. The Holy Spirit will take care of the rest. It could take months or years, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that they hear from your lips that God loves them and desires a deep, intimate relationship with them.
“neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor.”
~ 1 Corinthians 3:7-8
John knew he wasn’t Christ, but he knew his calling and he lived it out. I love the painting of John above because he points to Christ, not to himself. He has recognized his role and gives all the glory to God.
Perhaps it’s someone who has never heard this before. Maybe it’s someone who has left the Church for whatever reason. It could even be someone who already goes to Church on Sundays. But it never hurts to be reminded of this.
Don’t worry about what they will think of you. Don’t worry about how they will react. The results are not in our hands, but His. We can be God’s lips and His hands, but the hard part we leave to Him to touch the hearts of His children and invite them into His arms.