The Vision Is In: The Why!

Every person needs a Purpose. Knowing why we do what we do, provides us with the necessary perspective to have a clear vision of what is the future we want to build, determining our direction of progress. Then, the Mission defines how we arrive at that future situation that we are creating as we move towards it. That is how the Kingdom of God works because the Vision and the Mission are the light that guides us. Jesus is the way, the truth and life and that is why He is the light of the world. Jesus came to tell us why we are here, where we are going and what we must do here before we leave with Him. That is our Vision and Mission. The coming of Jesus Christ to the World, had a purpose: To restore the relationship of human beings with God, which had been lost by the original sin. From that high position of Purpose, the Vision was clear: The forgiveness of sins by Grace, through the Passion and Death of Jesus as total and permanent payment for our sins and giving us the entrance to heaven. The Mission that was given to the Apostles and we inherited is: Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that Jesus commanded us.

Reading Matthew 10:1-20, we see that Jesus gathered his twelve Apostles and sent them with precise instructions to preach the Gospel, to expel the evil spirits, to heal all sickness and to raise the dead. However, what Jesus really did with this operation, was to give the Apostles personal experience, which would allow them to have the Vision of what they would have to do next. Jesus Christ knew His Purpose and His Mission and worked to record those concepts in the hearts of his Apostles. Today we have also accepted the Purpose, Vision and Mission of Jesus Christ. Therefore, serving Jesus Christ in the Great Commission is our purpose, our cause, and is a cause to which we give ourselves for love of God and our neighbor, without asking anything in return, because we have already received our reward with the Grace of Jesus . Don’t live without knowing why you are here: fulfill your purpose!

Matthew 10:1-20 (NIV)

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven has come near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts, no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Thought:

In the 10th chapter of Matthew, Jesus first delegated authority to the twelve Apostles, that is, he gave them authority and empower them for the Mission. Then, he explained the Mission in detail and finally gave them a vision of what would happen to them. This was a temporary Mission because they would return to Jesus to continue with Him, so we understand that it was like a "Practice Mission", preparing them for the Mission that would begin when Jesus ascended to heaven after his Resurrection.

This is an excellent model to follow with the people we disciple for Jesus. First we teach them with our own example as Jesus did, then we delegate them authority, we give them a “practice mission” so that they reinforce the learning and we give them the vision of what they are going to face. Then, we continue with them for a while longer to consolidate their Mission and finally we send them on their own. This is the most important part: We don’t evangelize and we disciple so that they stay with us, because there is no growth there. In order to fulfill the Mission that Jesus entrusted to us, we must evangelize and disciple, to send. Only to send. Our current model doesn’t follow the model of Jesus, but the model of synagogues and pagan temples, because they discipled to retain.

It is necessary that you talk with your heavenly Father to provide you with discernment and to reveal to you His Word about: Why you are in this world, what is your mission here and where are you going, that is, what is your destiny. The discernment and revelation from your Father, will give meaning and purpose to your life; then you will have the Light that will allow you to see the Way and know the Truth, that lead to the Abundant and Eternal Life that Jesus gave you and you will be able to help others so that they can also see.

That is your prayer for today.