The (Unimpressive) Ambassadors Of Heaven

The American Embassy in Ireland is a big building, but the public (even the American ex-pat public) can only see a small part of it. That part is mostly security guards, fluorescent lights, and bulletproof glass. Somewhere inside of the building I know there’s a ballroom. If I was a Very Important Person I might get to see it, and maybe I’d even meet the ambassador herself. America’s ambassador to Ireland has a very impressive list of credentials, which is to be expected. Nations that are great and powerful (or want to be perceived that way) do their best to be represented by highly qualified individuals who are skilled in the diplomatic arts. People who can make a good impression at fancy dinners in ballrooms with VIPs. People who can move their nation’s interests forward through the ever-changing minefield of political realities.

There are some great and powerful nations in the world today, but none of them can compare to the greatness of the kingdom of Heaven. None of them come close. So if the King of kings, the eternal ruler of Heaven, put up a job listing to become one of his ambassadors, what requirements would you expect it to include? If the application process was anything like the way our nations work, it would probably have a lot to do with who you know personally, who owes you a favour, and how well-connected your family is. You would need to hold the right degrees, from the right institutions. You would need to stand out from the competition—showing somehow that you are more intelligent, more savvy, and more capable of effortlessly embodying the greatness of the proud nation you represent. In a word, you would need to be impressive. So who would the God of Heaven choose to represent him?

This is not a hypothetical question. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul writes that there really are “ambassadors of Christ” who represent his kingdom and are entrusted with his message, that God is “reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.” Can you imagine? The God of Heaven, making tiny little humans the official representatives of his eternal kingdom and entrusting them with the most significant message the world has ever heard—that we can be reconciled to God in Christ! It’s a privilege beyond belief. It’s a responsibility beyond belief. To represent God and his kingdom—who could ever be equal to such a task? Who on earth would God choose to represent him? Paul writes the answer to this question in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31:

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.’”

The ambassadors of the greatest kingdom to ever exist are not chosen from the highest, most elite circles of humanity. God is not looking for the ones who can impress him most with their own personal greatness. Honestly, how would you go about proving your greatness to the inventor of stars and galaxies, anyway? Or showing your clever wisdom to the God who designed photosynthesis and the water cycle? When God looks for ambassadors, he seeks those who are humble enough to admit that they need him. People who are ready to depend on him and recognise their need for his grace. He’s looking for the “the poor in spirit” and “those who mourn” (Matthew 5:3-4). His job listing is for “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”—because he’s ready to fill them (Matthew 5:6). He’s ready to give them a kingdom.

If you want to represent the King of kings and his eternal kingdom today, you don’t have to have impressive credentials. You don’t have to have a large platform, the right education, or the insider connections. You just have to admit that you need Jesus and trust your life—with all your weakness, foolishness, and sin—entirely to him. His grace will do the rest. He will take your weakness and need and make you a living, breathing display of the wisdom and power of God—“our righteousness, holiness and redemption”. All you need to represent the kingdom of God is need, brought to God, and fulfilled by him. That’s how our great God chooses to display to the whole world the greatness of his grace, his love, and his power.

“…as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.’”