WORTHY TO WEAR THE LIVERY OF JESUS

On Saturday the 31^st July 2021 I had the joy of attending Sarah Bate’s marriage to Matthew Kinton in the beautiful city of Cambridge. The reception was held in the magnificent grounds of Jesus College -which she had attended.

All were impressed by the catering staff – they were so polite, so pleasant, so hard-working. Resplendent in the college livery – with crest on their styled waistcoats they were worthy representatives of their college and reflected the care and attention that the college was showing to the whole wedding party. We thought so highly of a college that employed such people. Had they been rude, disinterested or slap-dash then we would have gone away with a poor impression of the college as well as the individuals.

When we look at our “missionaries” – at Dave W, at Danielle G and at Dudley and Jill’s son in Entrepierres – we understand that they are ambassadors of Jesus. People at Speaker’s Corner and in France will look at how they behave and form an opinion of Jesus from what they see and hear from them. This is an awesome responsibility!

But, as I live my life, I remember that I now wear the livery of Jesus. When people see me – what I do and what I say – I represent Him. Let me always remember this. People will judge Jesus by what they see in me. If they see anger, or malice, or hypocrisy, or sin, or legalism, or deceit, or hardness, or unforgiveness, or judgementalism, or any other bad thing in me, they will judge Jesus in the same way. This is an awesome responsibility!

How many times have I turned a person AWAY from Christ rather than TOWARDS Christ by the way I live my life? I must always remember, in all that I do, that I am Christ’s “ambassador”, Christ’s “servant” and Christ’s “light” to the world – as the following passages make very clear:

he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5: 19-20)

This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. ² Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful (1 Corinthians 4: 1-2)

¹⁴ ‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven’ (Matthew 5: 14-16)

May I be counted worthy to wear the livery of Jesus.