13 ¶ As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.
Dr. Ruckman points out that snow was used for cooling drinks and foods, as far as we know from written sources, as early as 1500BC. When the hard work of the harvest comes where there is no rest until the labor is done, and any factory worker will understand that in the busy season for their company there are sometimes many weeks of 12 hour per day seven day work weeks, cool refreshment is a blessing.
So, without going into a huge historical dissertation about ancient refrigeration methods, of which I have learned some very interesting facts but not very germane to our discussion, let me just say that this verse shows that a faithful messenger is a blessing to the one who sent him as a cold drink in a time of back breaking work is refreshing.
Christians are to be ambassadors for the kingdom of God. We are messengers from the heavenly kingdom which is to come. Our message is the gospel.
1 Corinthians 15:1 ¶ Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
That is our message to the world. Without it the world and all of its people are lost and doomed to an eternity of agony, pain, grief, and loss, as we were, very simply.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Our message is not political in that we are not trumpeting the glory of any earthly kingdom or nation including the one we live in. We are practicing malfeasance in office when we seek revenge, even verbal, when we are self promoting, seek our own welfare over others, do not give of ourselves, our time, and our money sacrificially, love violence as either our own satisfaction or our entertainment, are not honest to a fault in our dealings with the world, speak vain words, become easily offended or angry at the behavior and speech of lost people, are obsessed with things sexual and with appearance, and at all times don’t put our message from God ahead of ourselves, specifically OUR SELF.
Ask yourself, what kind of messenger are you? Are you representing Christ, as part of His body on earth, properly? Anger, paranoia, fear, excessive patriotic fervor for an earthly kingdom, self righteousness, bigotry, cruelty, meanspiritedness, selfishness, arrogance, and hatred are not attributes a heavenly messenger should manifest.
What attributes are your credentials which you present to the world every time you leave your front door either physically or figuratively on the computer or telephone? What is the proof of your position as Christ’s messenger, the fruit that proves what kind of tree you really are?
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Are you a faithful messenger that refreshes the soul of your master? Or are you an angry, self righteous religious freak who serves only your own fears and emotional baggage and your desire to see your SELF be honored? Remember, angry people, full of wrath and hatred, cannot serve Christ. Quit fooling yourself. You don’t fool God or the unsaved.
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