In the Old Testament: God sent His angel to shut the lions' mouths, so that they might not hurt Daniel in the den, and was with the three young man in the furnace, so fire had no power on their bodies (Da 6: 22; 3: 25- 31). He was with Elijah while fleeing from Queen Jezebel and spoke to him with a still small voice (1 Kgs 19: 12, 13). He also appeared to Jacob while fleeing in fear from his brother Esau, and comforted him with loving and supportive words, "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land." (Gen 28: 15)
In the same way the Lord saved Sarah from King Abimelech, warning him in a dream, saying, "I also withheld you from sinning against Me… I did not let you touch her." (Gen 20: 3- 6)
As the Lord saved, gave peace, and delivered such individuals, He also had worked with other individuals, calling them to ministry. God called Abram the Father of the Fathers and Prophets to go to the mount He showed him, blessed him, and made him a blessing, saying, "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Gen 12: 1- 3)
God likewise called Moses from the midst of the burning bush, and did not accept his excuse of not being eloquent but slow of speech and tongue. God sent him Aaron his brother and said, "You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do." (Ex 4: 10- 16)
God called Jeremiah and refused his excuse that he was a youth, but said to him, "Behold, I have made you this day a fortified city and an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land … They will fight against you, for I am with you … to deliver you." (Jer 1: 6- 19) God called all the prophets and worked with each of them alone.
God had individual work with Jonah the Prophet, with the ship crew, and with Nineveh. He led Jonah to obedience, saved him from the belly of the fish, and convinced him of the mission. For the ship crew, the Lord led them to faith and to offering a sacrifice to Him. For the people of Nineveh, the Gentiles, the Lord led them to repentance and contrition, and to faith in Him. That was individual work indeed for Nineveh was only one city from all the cities of the world.
The same applies to Israel, God led the people, sent them prophets, gave them the law and the promises, worked wonders to them, and inflicted punishments on them. It was only one nation from many. Individual work by the Lord Christ: The Lord Christ worked with the multitude, with thousands of people, as in the miracle of feeding five thousand men besides women and children from five loaves and two fish (Mt 14: 21). The multitudes often thronged Him as in (Lk 8: 42, 45; Mk 5: 24, 31), and in the miracle of healing the paralytic carried by four men (Mk 2: 2).
However, individuals were not lost in the crowd. He saw Zacchaeus on the sycamore tree which he had climbed up to see the Lord because of the crowd, and He called him, went into his house and said, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham." (Lk 19: 9) Zacchaeus therefore repented, confessed his sins, and returned fourfold what he had taken from anyone by false accusation.
The Lord spoke to Nicodemus who came to Him by night about the birth of water and the Spirit, about the Son of Man who is in heaven, and about salvation (Jn 3: 1- 21). That meeting was fruitful, for Nicodemus believed and took part with Joseph of Arimathea in preparing the body of Christ for burial (Jn 19: 38- 40). He afterwards became a bishop.
The Lord worked for the Samaritan woman whom He met at the well. He spoke to her about the living water and worshiping God in Spirit and truth. He led her to repentance and confession, although the disciples marveled that He talked with a woman (Jn 4: 27). The fruit extended to the people of her city, for she proclaimed Christ to them (Jn 4: 28- 30).
Chapter (15) of the Gospel of Luke is all about individual work. It tells about the lost sheep, for which the shepherd left the ninety-nine in the wilderness and went after it, and on finding it, he laid it on his shoulders, rejoicing. The search for the lost coin; the happiness at the return of the lost son and the banquet made for him, and convincing the older son who was angry for the gladness at his brother's return (Lk 15) are also included in that Chapter.
The Lord also worked with Martha, saying to her, "You are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed." (Lk 10: 41, 42) He worked with the man born blind, who was cast out by the Jews, for He called him to faith and revealed Himself to him, so the man believed and worshiped Him (Jn 9: 35- 38). To Nathanael the Lord said, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." And Nathanael believed, and said, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!" (Jn 1: 47- 51) The Lord also worked with each of His twelve disciples, and with Peter, James, and John alone, and in the Transfiguration with Moses and Elijah (Mk 9: 2- 8), as well as with many other individuals.
Even after the resurrection, the Lord did much individual work. He appeared to the two disciples of Emmaus, and began at Moses and all the prophets and expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (Lk 24: 27). He also appeared to Thomas and delivered him from his doubts, and gave him the opportunity to touch His wounds, saying, "Do not be unbelieving, but believing." (Jn 20: 26- 29) He likewise appeared to Mary Magdalene who said thrice, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." (Jn 20: 2, 13, 15) His words made her believe in the resurrection. He even entrusted her and the other Mary to bring the good tidings to the disciples (Mt 28). Then He appeared to the disciples and convinced them that He is not a spirit, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones. He showed them His hands and His feet, and ate in their presence. (Lk 24: 36- 43) He appeared again to them and gave them the Sacrament of Priesthood. He breathed on them, and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." (Jn 20: 22, 23) He comforted Peter who was very sorrowful for denying Him before the crucifixion, and said to him, "Feed My lambs …Tend My sheep." (Jn 21: 15- 17)
After His Ascension the Lord did great individual work, as He did to Saul of Tarsus: The Lord appeared to him on the way to Damascus, and rebuked him saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me." (Acts 9: 4) He led Saul to faith and sent him to Ananias who baptized him (Acts 9: 15- 18), then He chose him to be an apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 22: 16). Once more the Lord appeared to him in Corinth by a vision in the night and said, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city." (Acts 18: 9, 10) Then He sent him to the Gentiles (Acts 22: 21), and once more said to him, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome." (Acts 23: 11) St. Paul obeyed and went to Rome to establish its church, and he dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him (Acts 28: 30, 31).
Among the great individual works the Lord did was that with the thief on His right hand on the cross. His influence on that thief was so great that he believed and said to Him, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom," and the Lord said to him, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise." Lk 23: 42, 43)
Individual works done by the apostles: The apostles preached to all the nations of the world, preached the gospel to every creature, and made disciples of them, baptizing them (Mt 28: 19; Mk 16: 15). Yet they worked with individuals: together with Silas, they led the jailer of Philippi to faith. They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house … and immediately he and all his family were baptized (Acts 16: 31- 32). Paul also did the same to Dionysius the Areopagite (Acts 17: 34) who afterwards became Bishop of Athena, as well as with many disciples who became his assistants in the ministry.
Another example is the individual work of Philip with the Ethiopian eunuch. The eunuch in his chariot was reading Isaiah the Prophet, so Philip asked him if he understood what he was are reading. Then Philip began to preach Jesus to him, and when they came to some water Philip baptized him, and the eunuch went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8: 27- 39). Paul the Apostle likewise worked with Lydia the seller of purple from the city of Thyatira: she was influenced by the words of St. Paul, believed, and got baptized. St. Paul responded to her request and entered her house (Acts 16: 15), which is said to have become a church in Thyatira.
From the church history we have the work of St. Mark with Anianus, who seized the opportunity when Anianus mentioned the name of God to preach him and to baptize him. He became the first believer in Alexandria, his house became a church, and he himself became a Bishop and the first successor of St. Mark. We shall continue on the same topic in the next week, God willing.
