“Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.” I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure that would be a selling point for me. My life has been relatively boring compared to some folks, but the thought of everything I’ve ever done . . . (shudder!).
All of us have done things that we are not proud of, from silly things to the downright vile. We generally try to hide that stuff, or at least set it in a light so that we don’t look as bad as the person next to us. I mean, after all, yeah, I’ve done some stuff in my life, but I’ve never done anything scandalous . . . not like this woman with her five husbands and shacked up with a new guy! At least I’m better than her, right? Right?
Wrong.
To God all sin is scandalous. It’s rebellion. It’s sticking out our chins and thumbing our noses at God. It’s us declaring we will do things our way and we won’t be constrained by our Father’s rules. (What would we do if our children took that stand with us?) Sin is cancerous, and it spreads into all areas of our lives if not checked. From the so called “smallest” to the “largest” it is all has the aroma of death and decay.
Jesus knows everything we’ve ever done . . . and he still loves us. Jesus knows everything we’ve ever done and everything we’ll ever do . . . and he still set his face toward the cross, knowing this was the way he could save us. He loved us too much to let us destroy ourselves, so he stretched out his arms to do what we could not – would not! – obey the Father and receive eternal life. There is a keen edge to being known and found completely wanting, and a powerful comfort to knowing that we are still loved.
Jesus seems to love to shake our foundations. He’s come to show us who God really is, and display how truly He loves us. Perhaps we have a bucket we need to drop, a burden that we are bearing, and be in awe that in Jesus we see a man who knows all that we’ve ever done. Then we can drop that burden at His feet and share that good news with others – our spouses, our children, our parents, our neighbors, etc.
Being freed from that burden and perceiving the depth of Jesus’ love for us changes us. And one the things it changes is how we perceive others. Jesus told the disciples, who understood none of this (which I find comforting), “lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.” In other words, look around. What do we see? Do we see people who are failures, fools, scoundrels and saps? Do we see people who are scandalous, dangerous, and perhaps unworthy of love? Do we see people despising God and treating His Word with contempt? Do we see that Jesus still loves them just as surely as he loves us?
Jesus came so we can know God and know that He loves us and wants us. Now we are bearers of that message. Let’s deliver it and see what the Holy Spirit will do!
All of us have done things that we are not proud of, from silly things to the downright vile. We generally try to hide that stuff, or at least set it in a light so that we don’t look as bad as the person next to us. I mean, after all, yeah, I’ve done some stuff in my life, but I’ve never done anything scandalous . . . not like this woman with her five husbands and shacked up with a new guy! At least I’m better than her, right? Right?
Wrong.
To God all sin is scandalous. It’s rebellion. It’s sticking out our chins and thumbing our noses at God. It’s us declaring we will do things our way and we won’t be constrained by our Father’s rules. (What would we do if our children took that stand with us?) Sin is cancerous, and it spreads into all areas of our lives if not checked. From the so called “smallest” to the “largest” it is all has the aroma of death and decay.
Jesus knows everything we’ve ever done . . . and he still loves us. Jesus knows everything we’ve ever done and everything we’ll ever do . . . and he still set his face toward the cross, knowing this was the way he could save us. He loved us too much to let us destroy ourselves, so he stretched out his arms to do what we could not – would not! – obey the Father and receive eternal life. There is a keen edge to being known and found completely wanting, and a powerful comfort to knowing that we are still loved.
Jesus seems to love to shake our foundations. He’s come to show us who God really is, and display how truly He loves us. Perhaps we have a bucket we need to drop, a burden that we are bearing, and be in awe that in Jesus we see a man who knows all that we’ve ever done. Then we can drop that burden at His feet and share that good news with others – our spouses, our children, our parents, our neighbors, etc.
Being freed from that burden and perceiving the depth of Jesus’ love for us changes us. And one the things it changes is how we perceive others. Jesus told the disciples, who understood none of this (which I find comforting), “lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.” In other words, look around. What do we see? Do we see people who are failures, fools, scoundrels and saps? Do we see people who are scandalous, dangerous, and perhaps unworthy of love? Do we see people despising God and treating His Word with contempt? Do we see that Jesus still loves them just as surely as he loves us?
Jesus came so we can know God and know that He loves us and wants us. Now we are bearers of that message. Let’s deliver it and see what the Holy Spirit will do!
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