"The juice goes out of Christianity when it becomes too based on faith rather than on living like Jesus or seeing and loving the world the way Jesus did. " (1)
Someone close to my heart has struggled with addiction most of their life. Recently they were released from their second stint in an intense rehab facility and found themselves standing at the train station with a bag full of clothes and nowhere to go. Many of their bridges had been burned as during the last days before rehab they had resorted to stealing from loved ones to support themselves. A family member of the individual called and asked if they could come stay here in our home. My first reaction? Annoyed. US? why are you asking Me? My second reaction? We are so busy, you know ministering to people. My husband is a pastor and giving our lives away is BUSY WORK. Third reaction? shame. If the day ever comes where my family and I are too busy teaching the gospel to live it...something has to give.
The Pastor in Les Miserables instantly came to mind when my daughter said "what if they steal from us" and my response was "then we will give them more." The loved one said they cried when told that yes, we would welcome them into our home.
Reading through the gospels I see a Jesus who loved people. Jesus didn't just love the lovely.
Every person Jesus invited to follow Him was a sinner. Every person Jesus reached out to was a sinner and MOST shunned by the "religious" leaders of the day.
The Gospel is full of accounts. Why? Because its WHO JESUS WAS.
He asked Matthew a tax collector to follow Him. He loved the adulterous woman and saw her for the beauty that she was. In the crux of His own suffering He welcomed the criminal alongside him on the cross to his kingdom.
"Christians are viewed by most the world as judgmental homophobic moralists who think we are the only ones going to heaven and we secretly relish the fact that everyone else is going to hell." (2)
Where did we miss it. If we have read the gospels where did we see a Jesus that flocked to the easy to love that welcomed only the upstanding citizens and why are we so hated by our culture. People were drawn to Jesus by his love.
"Jesus NEVER called his followers Christians He called them disciples which is a scarier word because it actually means something.A disciple is a pupil follower. A disciple learns and grows by obeying and IMITATING his master. And Jesus made it very clear how he wanted his followers to behave" :
(3)
John 13:35 by this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.
Pretty simple.
Are there times its NOT as simple? Yes. Sometimes "love" is hard to define especially when dealing with a proclaiming believer as opposed to the world. However I can promise you this: If we can learn to focus more on changing ourselves to become more like HIM and less on changing others to look more like Him the rest will fall into place. If we become more aware of OUR need for his saving grace than we are focusing on OTHERS inadequacies, Christ followers may start to have a better reputation. Resulting in JESUS having a better reputation and our own hearts looking more like His.
The new houseguest is doing well, has moved into a new place with some other Christ followers and working a job for a man who understood the beauty of grace and second chances. So proud of the work they have allowed God to do in their life.
Are they ever going to fall? Are they ever going to mess up? Yep.
And so will I.
So grateful Jesus loves the sinner.
1. Steve Jobs
2. Andy Stanley
3. Andy Stanley
