Those People

"Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, 'Why does he eat with such scum? When Jesus heard this, he told them, 'Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call sinners not those who think they are already good enough'" Mark 2:15-17

 Looking in from the outside is not a fun place to be. Hearing of an activity that everyone else went to, but you weren't invited ... Walking up to a group talking and they immediately stop and disperse ... Entering a church only to receive the, "What are they doing here?" looks ... It doesn't feel good at all.

The verses for today reveal that the "holier than thou" attitude has been in effect for a really long time. Jesus wasn't a fan. He made himself available to anyone. He didn't follow the pattern of throwing stones at people, nor did he condone sinful behavior. His life was in perfect balance. 

I, for one, am very grateful that Jesus loves sinners, for I am one who sins. His forgiveness and grace are staggering. He longs for us to live in his grace and for us to extend it to others. Let's drop the stones. Let's also speak the truth, for the truth is what frees. However, it must be spoken with humility and respect. 

Grace and Peace, 

 Tom Wiles
tom@fallcreekchristian.org
Location: Fall Creek Christian Church, 1102 West 700 South, Pendleton, IN 46064, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wisdom

"God surely knows where it (wisdom) can be found, for he looks throughout the whole earth, under all the heavens. He made the winds blow and determined how much rain should fall. He made the laws of the rain and prepared a path for the lightning. Then, when he had done all this, he saw wisdom and measured it. He established it and examined it thoroughly. And this is what he says to all humanity: 'The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding'"  Job 27:23-28 I had an "incident" with the one cup at a time coffee maker the other day. Apparently, the lid that screws on to the mini coffee filter holder is an important part of the process. Who knew? I thought I could make a stronger cup of coffee without it. All I ended up doing was making a real mess that I cleaned up with giggling coworkers nearby. I believe, however, I am now armed with a little more knowledge and wisdom.  Job was a righteous dude. He was wise and well-res...
Read more

Faith in Christ

" How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort." Galatians 3   As my daughter's team laced up their soccer cleats for the championship game, it wasn't looking good. More than couple of the players, including my daughter, were trying to battle through their injuries. They played an aggressive attacking style that allowed them to make it this far. When the game went to halftime, they were shockingly leading by a goal. Inexplicably, the coach made a decision to stop their attack and fall back into a defensive formation. The result was completely predictable - a heart breaking loss.   The Galatian believers that Paul was writing this letter to were at a crossroads. Paul had shared the wonderful news that Jesus died on the cross for their sins, was buried and was raised to life on the third day. All who believe in him will be made right with God. They received it with great joy....
Read more

Made Right

"But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight--not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the scriptures long ago. We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done." Romans 3:21-22 "What do I need to do to make this right?" I cannot begin to tell you how many times that I've wished for a customer service representative to ask me this question. Accounting errors, incorrect fees, unannounced pricing changes, wrong orders and the like have resulted in much frustration over the years. How refreshing it would be in those moments to work with someone who wanted me to feel like the wrong was addressed in a satisfactory way. An equally frustrating experience occurs when I am in the wrong and am unable for whatever reason to make things right with someone. Regardless of what side of the coin we may be on, in...
Read more