The Common People

And the common people heard him gladly. Mark 12:37

The common people heard him, Jesus, gladly. The teaching of Jesus carried an attractive, down to earth quality, which reached the hearts of the common people. Religious leaders of the day tended to be hypocritical and oppressed the poor. Into this setting comes Jesus, showing love to all, which especially reached the hearts of the common people. I like to think of them as everyday people: children, mothers and fathers, grandparents, day laborers, fishermen and carpenters, street sweepers and cleaners, poor, crippled, blind, mentally unstable, and diseased. They all experienced his love, his compassion, and acceptance; just everyday people going about their lives. I imagine they looked on to the religious leaders of the day knowing they could not live up to the standard which some of them portrayed. Perhaps hope even seemed far away.

Having recently returned home from my father’s family reunion, I am impressed with the common people. Looking at the family I am privileged to be a part of, I had the feeling that these are everyday, common people. While visiting with aunts, uncles, and cousins, I felt the love for the Lord which only can come through experiencing his touch on their lives. It was not a historical feeling of having met the Lord sometime in the past, but an alive connection with the real, everyday Lord, whom they love. They are real people, concerned about the salvation of their own lives and the lives of their posterity. When I say they are real, I mean just that. They are not hypocritical, but honest in their feelings about their love for God, their appreciation for the choices of our grandparents, and their own weaknesses as they try to live for God.

I am impressed how much difference one choice can make, and how far reaching the effects of that choice can be. Because of one person’s choice to serve the Lord, hundreds, perhaps thousands will be in heaven; the other is also true. If our grandmother had not chosen to follow God above everything else, including her husband and children, the story for all of us would be completely different. We are still reaping the blessing of that choice. They chose the path of self-sacrifice, humility, and truth, which is the example they left for their children and grandchildren to follow. My grandfather in particular chose to forsake his family and the beliefs he had grown up with, to follow the path of Jesus. Perhaps that is what I feel when I am with my father’s family. When we are together, we are reminded of where we all came from, where we could have been, the sacrifice our grandparents made, and here we are recipients of that sacrifice. Has life been perfect? No of course not. Have there been challenges? Yes, it is not possible to come out of what our grandparents came from without some growing pains. Has it been worth it? You can decide for yourself; for me it is no question.

It is not my intention to disrespect my father’s family by saying they are common people, rather I find comfort and belonging to look at them that way. They may have come from humble roots, but that has not hindered talent and success. In fact, their roots may have given them the advantage in many ways; a common people, with common weaknesses, serving a common yet uncommon God; poor and humble beginnings, are nothing to be ashamed about. While among my father’s family, I feel the concern for the deep things of life; salvation for themselves and their children and grandchildren. Getting together reminded us once again of where we came from and what it took to get to where we are. This brings us to a common level of our humanity.

Life for my grandparents was hard. Though they experienced both financial and spiritual poverty, I am thankful they made the choice to forsake the spiritual poverty for the riches of Christ Jesus.

I personally like to think that God loves the common people and is an everyday God. He is not so interested in our fancy words or earthly accomplishments, but rather he sees our efforts, our weaknesses, and attempts to serve him. He wants our whole life, and our allegiance, but he knows we will not get it all right every time; we will fail; we will need him. If we choose to follow him, he will stand beside us through both the good times and bad, providing comfort and giving us strength to endure till the end.

I am closing with the words from Apostle Paul to Timothy.

2 Timothy 1:5-10

 

When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: