To Whom Much is Given Much is Expected

We gather next month to celebrate our 75^th anniversary with a tremendous sense of gratitude and a heavy weight of responsibility.

Gratitude

We have much to be thankful for, notably the people and resources that have been entrusted to us over the years.

Among these provisions in trust is a large Canadian body of talent, donors, supportive churches, and collaborating international partners who continue to look to EMAS Canada for healthcare and education and even the hope of access to eternal life.

At the heart of EMAS Canada’s vision: Christ-centered healthcare teams proclaiming God’s love to all the world through healing and teaching is a sacred trust that goes beyond health and education.

One of the sayings of Jesus that has gained universal currency is the statement, “to whom much is given, much is expected.”

In its original context Jesus is talking to His disciples about faithfulness, vigilance, and attention to His business.

He likened them and us to dependable servants who could be relied upon to know and take care of their master’s business.

Responsibility

The primary business of Jesus on earth was to provide the sole mechanism for the reconciliation of all people to God, which He accomplished by His death  when He became the price that cancelled all spiritual debt incurred through sin, and by His resurrection annulling all evidence that would damn us before God. This good news is ineffective unless people have access to it and apply it for themselves as a reliable foundation for approaching a righteous and holy God.

As God’s (healthcare) agents our mandate includes finding relevant ways of helping people to respond to God’s offer of reconciliation by acknowledging who Christ is and what He has done to reconcile them to God, hence our slogan: Healing Today, Teaching for Tomorrow and for Eternity.

It may be convenient to interpret the talents Jesus speaks of in Matthew 25 as material resources, ability by natural gifting, or skills by training, but it is  disingenuous and a gross undervaluation of what was being entrusted to the faithful servants and by extension disciples today.

Every time we deploy a team, we recognize that our volunteers will encounter situations in which the eternal destiny of individuals may be permanently changed through the Easter message.

When people’s lives are demanded of them by God, we want everyone as rich toward God as Christ could possibly make them.

How appropriate then is David’s prayer for us seeking to proclaim God’s love to all the world:

“Lord, the Lord Almighty, may those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me; God of Israel, may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me.”

Should God honor us with another 25 years of service, it would be a testimony to the fidelity of our generation to the gospel of Jesus Christ and an answer to our prayers.

As part of celebrating our 75^th anniversary, we will be launching a fund to prepare workers for future Christ-centered healthcare teams.

For information about investing in the future work of EMAS Canada, contact Peter Agwa.

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All Scripture references are taken from the New International Version (NIV)
Scripture references Luke 12 & Matthew 25
Feature image: Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash