TU‘APULELULU SEPITEMA 11, 2025
WHAT TO DO WITH LIFE
KO HO’O NGAUE MAHU’INGA KE FAI
Mark 5:18-20
"The man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, ‘Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’ And he … began to proclaim..how much Jesus had done for him.”
Ma’ake 5:18-20
18 Pea ‘i he‘ene heka vaka, na‘e kole kiate ia ‘e he tangata ne ‘āvea ke na ō mo ia. 19 Ka na‘e ‘ikai te ne tuku ke pehē, ka ne lea pē ki ai, Mole ki ho ‘api mo ho kakai, pea ongoongoa kiate kinautolu ‘a e ngaahi fu‘u me‘a kuo fai ‘e he ‘Eiki ma‘au, mo ‘ene ‘ofa‘i koe. 20 Pea ‘alu ‘a e tangata, ‘o ne kamata ke ongoongoa ‘i Tikapolusi ‘a e ngaahi fu‘u me‘a kuo fai ‘e Sīsū ma‘ana. Pea na‘e ofo ai ‘a e kakai kotoa pē.
Kapau ‘oku tau ongo’i ‘oku mahu’inga ke tuku atu ‘a e kau faifekau misinale ki he ngaahi fonua muli, pea tau fakahikihiki’i ‘akinautolu kuo nau hiki ‘o ngaue faka-misinale ki tu’apule’anga, kuopau leva ke tau tali ‘a e fehu’i ni: "Ko e ha ‘eku me’a ‘oku fai ke u talaki ai ‘a Sisu? Ko e ha ‘eku ngaue ‘oku fai ki hoku feitu’u, ngaue’anga mo kinautolu ‘i hoku ‘ataki? ‘Oku ou talaki malohi ‘a e tau’ataina mo e mo’ui ‘oku ou ma’u ‘ia Kalaisi?”
‘Oku faingofua ‘aupito ke tau nofo fiemalie ‘i he’etau lotu faka-Kalisitiane. Lava pe ke tau pehee, “Ko e tokotaha lelei au. ‘Oku ou ma’u lotu ‘i he Sapate kotoa pe. ‘Oku ou ma’u ‘a e fakalotolahi mei he Tohitapu. ‘Oku ou tauhi lelei hoku famili.” Ka ‘oku ‘ikai ko e fakamatala totonu ia ‘o ha taha kuo liliu mo’oni ‘e Kalaisi mo Ne ui ke ‘alu ‘o ngaohi tisaipale (Matiu 28:18-19). Ko e fa’ahinga fakakaukau mo e to’onga mo’ui ko iaa, na’e ‘ikai ko e founga ia na’e ului ai e kau liliu lotu ‘i mamani ‘i he hisitolia ‘o e siasi. Ko e fa’ahinga fakakaukau ia ‘oku sio ki he tui, ko ha me’a pe ke tanaki mai - hange pe ha me’a ke te kau ki ai he ‘oku lelei kia kita.
Hange pe ko e tangata na’e ma’u ‘e he tevolo ‘ia Ma’ake 5, kimu’a pea tau talaki malohi ‘a Kalaisi ko e ‘Eiki mo e Fakamo’ui, kuopau ke tau tomu’a ‘ilo hotau tu’unga ta’emalavaa; ha’i seini ‘i he angahalaa, ‘alu fano ‘i he fonua ‘o e mate. Te tau toki a’usia kakato leva ai ‘a e tau’ataina, fiefia mo e mo’ui kuo fakahaofi kitautolu ki ai ‘e Sisu Kalaisi. Kapau te tau mahino’i lelei ‘a e me’a na’e fai ‘e Kalaisi ma’a kitautolu, ‘e ‘ikai toe hela ha taha hono fakamanatu ke ‘oua te tau nofo pe mo e koloa ‘o hono fakahaofi kitautolu ‘e he’ene meesi, ka ke tau vahevahe atu ia ki he ngata’anga ‘o mamani, pe ki hotau kaunga’api.
‘Oku ‘ikai toe fiema’u ke ke lau ha tohi pe lesisita ki ha kalasi pea ke toki talaki ‘a Sisu. Ko ho’o fakamatala ki ha taha kehe ‘a e hanga ‘e Kalaisi ‘o fakatafoki koe ki he ‘alunga totonu. Na’e talaange ‘e Sisu ki he tangata ‘ia Ma’ake 5, ke kamata pe ‘i hono famili mo hono ngaahi maheni. Ko ‘ene palani ki hono fakamafola ‘o e koosipeli ‘i he vahefonua ko eni, na’e kamata pe ‘i ha fo’i mo’ui ‘e taha na’e liliu. ‘E ‘ikai te ke lava ‘o e tali kotoa ‘a e ngaahi fehu’i ho kaungame’aa. Pea ‘oku ‘ikai te ke taukei mo e mingimingi’i me’a ‘o e tokateline ‘o e Tolu-taha’i-’Otua. Ka ‘okapau ‘oku ke ‘ia Kalaisi, ‘oku ke ‘ilo, ko koee na’a ke kui ka kuo ke ‘aa.
Ko e siasi, ‘oku ‘ikai ko ha vaka meili fakafiefia, ka ko ha vaka fakahaofi mo’ui. Ko hotau fatongia, pea ko hotau tapuaki, ke fai ‘a e me’a na’e fai ‘e he tangata na’e fakamo’ui ‘e Sisuu… ke foki mo ‘alu ki he potu tahi ‘o e mo’ui ke…
Fakahaofi ‘a e kau mole, ke tokoni ki he matee
Hamusi ‘i he ‘ofa mei he luo ‘o e angahala mo fonualoto
Tengihia ‘a e ‘auhee, hiki hake ‘a e to ki lalo
Tala ‘a e malohi ‘o Sisu ke fakamo’ui
[ Fanny Crosby, "Rescue the Perishing" (1869)]
Ko hai ‘oku ui koe ‘e Sisu ke ke ‘alu ki ai he ‘aho ni?
Bible Through The Year: Judges 11-12: John 4:31-54
Lau ‘a e Tohitapu ‘i he Ta’u ‘e taha: Fakamaau 11-12; Sione 4:31-54
If we find it worthwhile to send missionaries into alien environments, and if we praise those who make the decision to leave their homeland and go overseas, then we need to confront the question: "What am I doing to tell others about Jesus? What am I doing about my street, my workplace, and my own spheres of influence? Am I boldly proclaiming the freedom and life promised through Christ.?”
Our Christianity can grow too comfortable. We may think, “I’m a fairly decent human being. I show up at church every Sunday. I find inspiration in the Bible. I look after my family." But that is not a description of the transformed life that Chris called us to when He told us to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-19). That lifestyle is not what has converted unbelievers across the world throughout history. That complacency sees faith simply as an add-on, a decision made along the way like someone deciding to join a gym just because they know it's good for them.
Like the man possessed by a demon in Mark 5, before we can passionately proclaim Christ as Lord and Savior, we first must become acutely aware of how helpless we are; held captive by our sin, roaming in the land of death. Only then can we fully realize the freedom, joy and life to which Jesus Christ has delivered us. If we have grasped what Christ has done for us, then we will not need to be told that such a merciful deliverance should not be kept to ourselves but shared, whether with the end of the earth or simply with those immediately around us.
You don't need to read books or take a class to share Jesus. You can simply tell others how Christ turned you right side up. Jesus had the man in Mark 5 start with his family and friends. His plan for the gospel to spread throughout this region started with one transformed life. So you may not be able to answer all your friends' questions. You may not know all about the doctrine of the Trinity. But if you are in Christ, you do know that while you were once blind, you now see.
The church is not a pleasure-cruise marina but a lifeboat station. It is our duty, and our privilege, to do as that rescued man did to go out onto the sea of life to…
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave
Weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen
Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.
Fanny Crosby, "Rescue the Perishing" (1869)
Who is Jesus calling you to go to today?
No comments:
Post a Comment