Jesus was a bit of a renegade to the leaders of His church. He attended regularly. But records show that He also hung out with questionable people. The church authorities tried to show that His conduct was not acceptable. They couldn´t stand Him being around the people with the worst reputation in town.
Before we brush the subject off, we could pause to check ourselves. Much more important than where we sit is where our hearts lie. Jesus was where there were people who needed God´s saving grace. His accusers set themselves far from any need to be saved. They already had their inheritance assured, or so they thought!
A good sign that God´s grace has filtered deep enough into our hearts is warmth. An accuser does not show concern when they point their fingers. But there is a glimmer of hope where people care for each other and know they need God. We cannot let our religion become a trap for us and look down our noses at others. Christ will always be with those who know they need God. Let us be there too!
Dear Jesus, which type of people are we? We want to know. We want Your verdict. Are we holding back, accusing others, and trusting our self-righteousness? Or are we where You are and with all those who don´t deserve You either? Please show us our true colors and our need for You no matter how close we think we are. Amen
11. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12. When Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. 13. But you go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Matthew 9:11-13 (WEB)
_
10% Offer on gourmet sweets for New Year | Use WELCOME24
Posts
------------------------------------------
.jpg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/quality,q_70/resize,m_mfit,w_350,h_350/format,webp)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment