Confused

How hard is it to fully believe?

Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe:by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.' - Mark 16:14-18

Mark tells us that when Jesus appeared to the eleven after his resurrection, he was angry with them for their failure to believe fully what he had told them.

The proof of their faith will be in the works they can perform in his name, healing, casting out demons, speaking in tongues, cheating death.

But their job is to spread the Gospel, to bring people to Christ, so they will be saved.

We tend to believe that all will be saved regardless of our actions or lack of them.  So we do nothing to impose our faith on others.  Is that right?

Shouldn't we be telling people how great it is to live in the kingdom?

Maybe we are like the eleven, confused. 

If we are not the ones who are supposed to share the good news with those who don't know, who is?

I can understand not wanting to impose our faith on people who have a different faith.  But what about those with no faith?  Shouldn't we tell them?

It's ok if we are confused and uncertain.  Look at the eleven.  They needed a nudge from Jesus.

So, let us try to talk about our faith to anyone who will listen, and see what happens.  They might not ask about our faith just by seeing our good works.  They may need to talk about it. 

And who knows, we might just find we can heal the world.

More to come...