Issue 073
All kinds of forces are present at work which can lower
your sense of worth. Large organisations have to think
in terms of numbers of people and big strategies.
Financial constraints can provoke decisions to lose staff
in order to save money. IT can be an amazing tool but
it has a tendency to reduce face to face contact or, as
you press one of the five options in a voicemail system,
leave you longing for a human voice. The sheer volume
of transactions that some organisations have to process
dictate the need for fast data handling where it is more
efficient to be identified by a user name, password or
number. None of these things are necessarily
destructive but if a work culture develops around
systems, strategies and volume, sometimes people can
feel discouraged, devalued or peripheral.
An examination of the working style of Jesus reveals
one of the many reasons why people found their longing
to be valued fulfilled by him. Peter was a key member
of the team – a turbulent character who was part
of the inner-circle of Jesus. Yet when Jesus’ own work
was becoming really difficult and, even though he had
been warned, Peter failed at a crucial moment. This
monumental mistake of denying any affiliation to his
leader left him shattered, full of self-loathing and at his
lowest point. The time had surely come to let him go,
to distance him from his role and move him out; he
was not up to the job. Yet only a few days later a
message is delivered to some loyal women on a Sunday
morning inviting them to meet Jesus again. It is a
message that they are to “go and tell his disciples and
Peter”. Peter, who would have been feeling the worst
of all, gets a personal mention. This was not unusual
from a man who went out of his way to heal
individuals, give them dignity and put them back
together again.
Maybe you are the one feeling low and need to be
reminded that Jesus is concerned about you as an
individual. Maybe someone you work with needs your
individual attention this week to be given to them in the
name of Jesus. Either way you will be operating in Jesus’
work culture as you recognise the value to him of each individual
person.
Mark 16:1-8
1When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6″Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ” 8Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
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Work well
Geoff Shattock
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