You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with Him. Acts 10:37-38
“The Lord did not come to make a display. He came to heal and to teach suffering men. For one who wanted to make a display the thing would have been just to appear and dazzle the beholders. But for Him Who came to heal and to teach the way was not merely to dwell here, but to put Himself at the disposal of those who needed Him, and to be manifested according as they could bear it, not vitiating the value of the Divine appearing by exceeding their capacity to receive it.”
Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 297-373) in On the Incarnation (New Kensington: Whitaker House, 1946).
On the Incarnation is another book from the list in 25 Books Every Christian Should Read: A Guide to the Essential Spiritual Classics. This important work helped the early church understand the identity and deity of Jesus Christ.
Let me set the scene. It was the middle of the third century. Arius was taking the church toward mythology and polytheism in his views about Christ. So, God raised up a young and brilliant theologian, Athanasius, who confidently refuted Arius.
In this excerpt which echoes today’s Scripture, we see that Jesus did not come to make a display. He did not aim to be a hero of mythology. He came “to put Himself at the disposal of those who needed Him.” He did not come to be served but to serve.
At GTP this year, our staff has grown from 5 to 10 workers. They live and serve in Australia, Egypt, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, and USA. They don’t aim to make a display but to put themselves at the disposal of those who need them.
Today the church faces similar challenges as it did in the days of Athanasius. The world needs to know who Jesus is and how He wants His workers to serve. Pray with me for resources to deploy the GTP staff in 2023 to strengthen Christian workers in 110 countries. Click here to support them.