Read Luke 8 Again
In the first 15 verses of chapter 8, Jesus tells us that the hearer’s responsibility is to accept the message and make Jesus the Lord of their life. However, that does not mean that the Gospel messengers are free of responsibility once the message is presented.
In the remaining verses of this chapter, He clarifies several of our responsibilities as messengers.
- No one hides a lamp under their bed. Jesus is the light of the world, and we are responsible for ensuring that He is not hidden from the rest of the world (Luke 8:16).
- As we “listen” to God’s Word and come to know Christ better, our responsibility to share Him with others also increases (Luke 8:18).
- The Kingdom of God is more important than everything—including our families (Luke 8:19 – 21).
- Trust the One who “… commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him” (Luke 8:25b NIV84). Don’t give Him reason to ask, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25a, NIV84).
- Be prepared to “… tell how much God has done for you” (Luke 8:39a, NIV84). Your personal testimony is one of your most powerful tools for sharing the Gospel message.
- “Don’t be afraid; just believe…” (Luke 8:50b, NIV84). If Christ is our Savior, then He is also our Rock and our Refuge. We have nothing to fear!
Accepting Christ as Lord and Savior requires both the messenger and the hearer. We each begin as the hearer, but if we truly follow Him, we will become the messenger. Our journey with Christ is a process of growth, as we learn to share His message and trust Him more.
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