Good Morning Girls
Read Luke 5:27-32 SOAP Luke 5:31-32
Sometimes the people who make me feel the most uncomfortable are the people who need Christ's love the most. Jesus went over to Matthew's house and ate with a room full of tax collectors. We know how the Jews felt about tax collectors. I personally would be intimidated to find myself in the midst of a large group of people that unashamedly rejected my faith or practices.
As I try to liken this to present day, I imagine walking into a room full of punk teenagers. (After all, is there another group that makes people feel more uncomfortable than rebellious teenagers?) You know the type, the kids that want nothing to do with authority, adults, or anything wholesome. Do you think Jesus would have been intimidated by teenagers? No, or course not. Yet I see people like me, Christians for many years, avoiding these kinds of people groups.
What about a room full of prostitutes, drug addicts, homeless people, or homosexuals, etc.? There's plenty of people I'm not keen to be surrounded by. But these "outcasts" need our love the most. They are sick people in need of a physician. The Jews were consumed with pride, which kept them from accepting Christ as their Messiah. But it also kept them from associating with sinners. We must break away from the tendency to only associate with like-minded people. ALL people need to hear the gospel, including those infuriating teenagers! ;o)
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Good Morning Girls
ReplyDeleteToday the bible study really spoke to me about being exclusive; you know staying with just my group of people. I think we all like our own little sandbox and prefer certain things and certain people, and really there isn’t anything wrong with that unless we think those things and people are the only ones that matter. I think that’s what Jesus is saying in our soap today, that we can’t just hang with Christians all the time. We have to meet up with the lost somewhere at some time and extend our hands to them and show them the love of Christ. I know growing up in a non-Christian home, I never thought about Christ but I also don’t remember anyone ever trying to reach out unless it was the Gideons who were allowed at that time to come to our schools and pass out bibles (I know today it would be a lawsuit lol) but I was well into my teens by that time and my mold was set until Jesus came into my life and deliver me from destruction. I guess what my point is that no matter if the other person is not from our social level or our beliefs we still need to find a way out of our comfort zone and reach them by the power of the love Jesus. I want to be better at that; I don’t want to be in the “me four and no more” club. If I just stay within my Christian group, how can I reach others? I know I don’t need to go on the devils turf and try to minister but I am to find a way like Jesus did, to minister to the lost and make them feel like I really care about them.
I totally agree with all your thoughts Fawn. Kids are often overlooked and the sooner we can reach out to them the better. Like the saying goes, "it hard to mold an oak tree that half grown". I feel a great desire to reach out to kids and teens and show them Jesus Christ. I am thinking of volunteering at the Bentonville Children's Shelter but I am sure I would not be allowed to share any bible thoughts, which would be an ideal thing to do. If anyone knows of any christian org. let me know please. I know I don't have all the answers but God does and he sees my two hands will to reach out and I believe in time He will fill them
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