“If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn’t take it seriously, I don’t reject him. I didn’t come to reject the world; I came to save the world. But you need to know that whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I’m saying, is willfully choosing rejection. John 11:47 – The Message
I love the way the message expresses Jesus’ mission. He says here and in John 3:17 that He did not come to reject and punish, He came to offer life and save the world. He did not come to condemn, but to bring light and dispel darkness. He did not come with His finger pointed in our face but with arms open wide to receive us. He came to free us from the curse, not to curse us. He came as righteous, powerful and mighty, but never proud and haughty. He came in truth and love, not in manipulative revenge.
Why, if Jesus came in all these positive and saving ways, do we Christians often come off as finger-pointing, self-righteous do-gooders who deserve blessings? Why do we try to force everyone into our box of faith? Why do we condemn more, instead of love more? Why do we reject those for whom He died? Why is it easier to love the sinner “out there” than to love the sinner we live with or raised? The people Jesus spoke to, had all kinds of truth from age old teachings, and evidence of miracles and yet they still didn’t take God seriously. Jesus just said He didn’t reject those people, the ones that frustrate us to no end, but often we reject them.! We need to ponder our understanding of God’s love.
Jesus, Friend of sinners, Light in the darkness, Hope of the lost, Savior of the world, help us to stop condemning those whom You are not rejecting and show us how to love them in the same way You do. Absolutely impossible without an infilling of Your love and Spirit. Impossible without surrendering our expectations and claim on their lives. It won’t happen until Your love in is stronger than our judgment. Jesus, it won’t happen unless You do it in and through us as we surrender our judgement and we take You seriously!
Journey with Joyce 