Around the time I started attending an evangelical church, one of the popular songs went like this:
“You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation…”
We could really get going on that one.
Most likely the melody came as the songwriter sang in the presence of God, but the lyrics came from the writings of the apostle Peter. (I Peter 2:8–9)
The words weren’t fresh revelation to him, either; God had spoken them to the Israelites long before the New Covenant was sealed. More than once.
For you are a holy people to the LORD your God. And the LORD has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 14:2 NASB; cf. Deuteronomy 7:6)
But chosen for what?
I will make you into a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2–3 NASB)
And how?
“See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you are to do these things in the land where you are entering to take possession of it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him? (Deuteronomy 4:5–7 NASB)
Why?
He said to Me, “You are My Servant, Israel,
In whom I will show My glory.” (Isaiah 49:3 NASB)
Preserved through years of exile and persecution, a remnant held fast to their identity: they were God’s special treasure, His chosen ones.
The Torah said it and the prophets confirmed it. Surely, when the Messiah came, they would see it.
When Jesus arrived and the whispers began — “Is he the one?” — those who weren’t first drawn to Him were offended by Him. Not only did He teach beyond doctrine to the heart of the matter, He pointed beyond their identity to their purpose.
One fine Sabbath in the synagogue at Capernaum, Jesus stood and read about the mission of the Messiah from the book of Isaiah:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:18–19 NIV)
Then He rolled up the scroll and sat down.
I’ve heard it said that when He sat down, He sat in a chair reserved for the Messiah, and that’s what got the people all in a knot.
I don’t know about that. I don’t see it in my Bible. Mine says,
“All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips.” (Luke 4:22 NIV)
It seems they were taken aback that a hometown boy could preach so well, yet they’d heard rumors about His miracles and thought it only right that He perform for them as well.
Instead, Jesus reminded them that God’s prophets had performed their miracles for Gentiles: Remember when there was a famine in Israel, how God sent Elijah to a widow in Sidon to make sure she had plenty? And remember when leprosy ran rampant in the Land, Elisha ministered healing to the commander of the enemy army?
That’s what nearly got Him thrown off a cliff.
Yet He walked on to make trouble another day.
The woman at the well
Doing the will of his Father and evading the wiles of the Pharisees took Jesus back and forth from Jerusalem to Galilee. The shortest route took Him past Shechem, the place of Jacob’s well. The plot now lay in the land of the Samaritans — the descendants of those Jews who had intermarried with pagans. Now less than chosen, the Samaritans were despised by the Jews.
Usually, Jews would turn aside and cross the Jordan just to bypass Samaria, but one day, Jesus decided to walk through.
As Jesus and His disciples neared the well, His disciples went off to buy lunch. When they returned, they caught Him talking to a Samaritan woman. Even those who knew Him best were surprised that He was associating with her.
But His Father had sent Him outside the land of the chosen to make sure an adulteress had living water. (John 4:1–42)
The centurion’s servant
During the days of Jesus’ ministry, the Israelites were living under Roman occupation. When a Roman centurion approached Jesus and asked Him to heal his servant, rather than dismissing him as an enemy of His people, Jesus commended him for his faith. (Matthew 8:5–13)
The Geresene demoniac
Just how long did it take for the twelve to accept that they were part of a band of rebels? They were proud to be Jesus’ chosen, sure, but chosen for what?
When they stood among Geresenes on the wrong side of the sea, did they welcome the demoniac into the Kingdom of God, or breathe a sigh of relief when Jesus told him to stay behind? (Luke 38:26–39)
We all know that Jesus came to save all — that we have been added to the chosen, His royal priesthood, His holy nation. We even know what we’ve been chosen for: “Go into all the world…” and all that.
But I have to ask:
This message of hope we preach? Is it meant for those in the pews or those outside the doors?
Do we invite the lost to our revival meetings or look for the broken in the streets?
How about that adulteress? Where will she hear more about Jesus? In her world where we talk about Him? Or in ours where we talk about her?
And what do we mean when we pray for “church growth”? A larger crowd to fill our sanctuary or a bigger army to deliver the hope?
Do you remember that song we used to sing on Sunday mornings?
The rest of it goes like this:
“…a peculiar people, that we might show forth the praises of Him
Who has called you out of darkness, out of darkness, out of darkness
Into His marvelous light.”