Adventist Mission

The "Great" Missionary

By Bill Colwell, Jr.
Buea, Cameroon

Have you considered what it means to be a missionary? I thought I had. I realize now that my preconceptions are continually challenged and that I am always in the process of reconsidering what it means to be a missionary.

I used to think about Paul as the greatest missionary. The thought came to me the other day about another missionary - an even greater one than Paul. This missionary was the one Paul himself looked to as an example. I realized I needed to take my eyes off Paul and put them on this his mentor - Jesus.
Truly, as simple as that statement is, I had never pictured Jesus as a missionary. Yet, he left the comforts of his home for that of a very different culture (see John 1:1-18 and Philippians 2:1-11). He said "Yes" to his Father while living in heaven. He said "Yes" to his Father every day and moment of His earthly life.

He came to preach the good news. His proclaimed missionary journey was "to the lost sheep of Israel, yet, in practice He served all who came to Him without judgement or condemnation. It was His intent that through this missionary journey the whole universe would be, once again, at one with God (see Isaiah 42 and Colossians 1).

His purpose was the same as the Father's: where we-human beings-had broken trust and relationship, God sought to reconcile us to Himself. To do this He needed to heal us and free us from the prisons in which we had been enslaved (see Isaiah 42 again).

Jesus was never alone on His missionary journey. The faithful of heaven were ever ready to encourage Him. The storehouses of heaven were also at the ready to supply His every need. Yet, these were rarely called upon. Instead, Jesus received earthly support. Men and women, who's trust in God grew as they came to know Jesus, provided friendship, food, shelter, and financial support.

On His missionary journey Jesus did preach some, but He took more time to teach by telling stories and asking questions. Even more so His method was to meet people where they were and subtly facilitate relationship restoration. He did this by socializing in their homes, in celebrating their weddings, in mourning with those who had lost loved ones, and in offering His healing touch. This is "relational evangelism".

Probably the example of Jesus that humbles me the most and convicts me constantly (especially when I think I have all knowledge and truth and want to "steamroll" others) is this: "Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete power; He knew that he had come from God and was going to God. So he rose from the table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel around his waist. Then he poured some water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist..." John 13:3-5+, TEV. And “…If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first you must be the slave of the others like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life to redeem many people.” Matthew 20:26-28, TEV.

Having all knowledge, all power, all authority, is nothing without love. The example of Jesus, and echoed by Paul (1 Corinthians 13), is this: Truth without love is no truth at all. I am not greater than my mentor and teacher. I never will be. I do not have, nor will I ever have all knowledge, power, authority, and thus I do not possess complete truth. My love is not yet complete either.

Yet in spite of this God has called my wife, Trixy, and me to be His Ambassadors (missionaries) in the way of Jesus and to participate in His frontline work of reconciliation. Your encouragement and support cannot be underestimated in its value. From the depths of our hearts, we thank you.

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