THE CONGREGATION OF THE COMMON

 

There were a relative handful of those who held the reins of power and abundance of possessions who followed Jesus. One thinks of Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and a few women of Herod’s household. Matthew and Zaccheus had been wealthy, but surrendered their status and substance to follow Jesus. There was an occasional ruler of a synagogue and Roman centurion, but that is about it.

The vast majority of those who received Christ’s words were common people. The peasant Prophet had a receptive audience in the poor, needy, outcasts, and such. Jesus had a message of hope to those who were the dregs in the bottom of society’s cup. The common people not only heard Him, but “heard Him gladly”!

One is reminded of Paul’s words:

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.”  (I Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭29‬‬)

There is an uncommonly great message for the common people.  

Notice it does not say “not ANY wise…not ANY mighty, not ANY noble,” but “not many,” so we need not abandon all hope of reaching those who are scholars, successful business leaders, and in positions of power. Yet, only a handful of the “upper crust,” will respond to the Gospel. It is a sad reality.

Yet, the preacher need not despair, for he will often have a listening ear among those who are struggling to survive from day to day. In almost a half century of preaching the Gospel my experience attests to this. I have embraced it and seen people lifted from the depths of depravity and despair to the glory of being children of God!

So, stop complaining if this is the makeup of your congregation. Jesus was not “too good” to preach to such a flock, though He was the King of Glory, and only perfect Man. I can be like Jesus in serving the congregation of the common. May I be found preaching in the nursing home, the prison, the homeless shelter, and in the little brown church in the wildwood.  I do not have to speak from an elevated pulpit in a massive cathedral or on a spot-lit stage in a high-tech mega church facility.  If God calls me to such, then it is grace, but wherever—it is for His glory.

Matthew West put it this way in song lyrics:

Why You ever chose me
Has always been a mystery
All my life I've been told I belong at the end of the line
With all the other Not-Quites
With all the Never-Get-It-Rights
But it turns out they're the ones You've been looking for all this time

'Cause I'm just a nobody
Trying to tell everybody
All about Somebody who saved my soul
Ever since You rescued me
You gave my heart a song to sing
I'm living for the world to see
Nobody but Jesus
I'm living for the world to see
Nobody but Jesus

Moses had stage fright
And David brought a rock to a sword fight
You picked 12 outsiders nobody would've chosen
And You changed the world
Well, the moral of the story is
Everybody's got a purpose
So when I hear that devil start talking to me, saying
"Who do you think you are"
I say...

I'm just a nobody
Trying to tell everybody
All about Somebody who saved my soul
Ever since You rescued me
You gave my heart a song to sing
I'm living for the world to see
Nobody but Jesus
I'm living for the world to see
Nobody but Jesus

To this I say, “Soli Deo gloria!”