Two are better than one because they have a good return for their hard work. If either should fall, one can pick up the other. But how miserable are those who fall and don’t have a companion to help them up! Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10
Devotion
In the “Small Group” book study I belong to at Community United Methodist Church (CUMC), we are currently reading “12 Ordinary Men” by John MacArthur. In the book, Mr. MacArthur describes how Jesus chose and molded his 12 apostles. While the 12 were ordinary in so many ways, they each possessed the inherent character traits that would enable them to work alongside Jesus as his closest followers. Their backgrounds were diverse; some were fishermen, there was also a tax collector, and a zealot.
When Jesus called the 12 together and sent them out in pairs, it was so they could support one another, providing safety and picking each other up should the other fall. The pairs provided “witness” for each other, establishing the truth of a matter as required under Jewish law. It is not certain why Jesus matched the specific pairs he did, but I’m learning that the men in each pair differ in personality, background, or both. The diversity of the pairs likely helped them appeal to greater numbers of people in the towns and villages they visited as they spread the good news.
Today’s scripture reminds us that our team with Hanwa teachers provides a good return for hard work. God made us to be interdependent. Even though we may be ordinary individuals from different parts of the world, it is our sharing of ideas and mutual support that generates extraordinary returns.
Prayer
Father God, please continue to bless our collaboration with Hanwa teachers. Let us build on what we learn from one another so that we may have a good return for our hard work. Amen.
