Acknowledge Christ before others
“I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.”
Luke 12:8
I’m a teacher, and have just enjoyed a week off; our school’s half term holiday. One evening during the week, my wife and I went to the cinema to see “Wreck It Ralph.” Claire enjoyed the film but I must confess to dozing off in the middle! As we were leaving the screen, I noticed one of my pupils queuing up to pay for his pick and mix. I quickly ushered Claire out of the cinema, hoping that we wouldn’t be spotted. It wasn’t that I was ashamed of my wife and my pupil meeting, but it’s always a little awkward meeting children I teach out of school.
In today’s verse, Jesus talks about the fantastic future that lies in wait for those who acknowledge him before others. Sometimes we can be afraid to speak of our faith and to tell our friends about Christ. This might be because we’re embarrassed, but perhaps more likely it is due to the fact that we think it might be rather awkward to do so. Jesus says in this verse from Luke’s Gospel that if we speak about our faith to those we encounter, he will acknowledge us publicly before God when he returns. This should give us a real motivation to speak freely and publicly about all that Jesus has done for us. In doing so Jesus will present us to God as his friends whom he loves and whose penalty for wrong doing he has already paid. In short, if we speak openly about Jesus and our trust in his death and resurrection, Jesus will lead us into heaven.
Why not try in the coming days to speak openly about your faith to people you know? And if you have any useful tips about how to do so, please do share them, along with your thoughts in today’s passage, in the comments below.
