Are you sharing the good news?

Scripture:

2Kings 7:8 When these leprous men had come to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent, ate and drank, carried off silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid them. Then they came back, entered another tent, carried off things from it, and went and hid them.
2Kings 7:9 ¶ Then they said to one another, “What we are doing is wrong. This is a day of good news; if we are silent and wait until the morning light, we will be found guilty; therefore let us go and tell the king’s household.”

Observation:

Elisha had promised that the siege was going to be lifted but it was hard for anyone to believe.  The people within the walls of the city were starving to death but there were two men with leprosy who had been forced to live outside the walls of the city.  Finally they realized that death was near so why not scope out the enemy camp and see if they might be able to get a morsel of food.  They were not allowed inside the city for they were unclean so they really had no hope.  They made their way out to the camp only to discover it had been abandoned.  God had created a miracle of sound and the Aramean army had fled in fear and confusion, leaving their tents, food and clothing behind.  The two lepers made themselves at home, sitting down and eating a meal in one tent and then making off with some of the goods.  However, they in the midst of their joy they stopped when they realized that this was unfair for them to enjoy all of this themselves.  They knew they had to share the good news of what they had with everyone else.  They left it all and ran back to the city, shouting the good news to those who were guarding the walls and the entire city was saved and enjoyed the bounty of the Aramean camp. 

Application:

As God's children we are blessed to sit at the Lord's table where we have access to everything that the Lord has for us.  Unfortunately, at times it seems that we are greedily holding on to all of this for ourselves instead of running out to our world and letting them know about the bounty we are enjoying.  These goods are not just to be for us personally, but they are to be for our sharing, but if we don't bother to tell anyone, they will never know.  The two lepers realized that they would have to go back to the city which had put them outside the walls and share with them what they had found.  They didn't have to do this but they knew that it was wrong to enjoy all of these goods while the people within the walls were dying.  The unlikely carriers of the good news were those that had been forced to live outside the company of the citizens. 

We are blessed to have the good news that will provide sustenance and salvation for the world around us.  We cannot sit in our churches and simply enjoy what we have.  We ought to feel guilty and we ought to take to the streets sharing with all those we can the good news of Jesus Christ.  We have a world that is dying and needs to know where to find eternal sustenance.  Are we willing to share, or are we too comfortable enjoying the food and the riches from within a tent which is not ours?  What the two lepers said is true, "What we are doing is wrong."  If we are not taking the news out to the people who need it, then what we are doing is wrong.  Every one of us must pray for God's leading as we share the good news with all of those who are hungry and are in need.

Prayer:

Lord, please help me share with someone today.  Amen.