Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – Nehemiah 5-9
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Luke 15:3-10
Jesus (with another parable): Wouldn’t every single one of you, if you have 100 sheep and lose one, leave the 99 in their grazing lands and go out searching for the lost sheep until you find it? When you find the lost sheep, wouldn’t you hoist it up on your shoulders, feeling wonderful? And when you go home, wouldn’t you call together your friends and neighbors? Wouldn’t you say, “Come over and celebrate with me, because I’ve found my lost sheep”? This is how it is in heaven. They’re happier over one sinner who changes his way of life than they are over 99 good and just people who don’t need to change their ways of life.
Or imagine a woman who has 10 silver coins. She loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the whole house, and search diligently until that coin is found? And when she finds it, doesn’t she invite her friends and neighbors and say, “Celebrate with me! I’ve found that silver coin that I lost”? Can’t you understand? There is joy in the presence of all God’s messengers over even one sinner who changes his way of life.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
Maybe it’s just because I’m getting older and notice it more, but I really think it’s true. We, who call ourselves Christians become more and more critical without showing God’s grace in return. This past year I’ve really noticed it. Even in this season of the year when people normally get a little more cheerful as we approach the celebration of Christ’s birth, I’ve noticed we are still on this string of harsh criticism of one another. We single out that one that is outside of God’s will, or at least what we think is His will, and blast his or her behavior. We cry out for justice or more likely for revenge. But we don’t do anything to try to bring them back into a relationship with God.
Isn’t that what we are supposed to be doing, though? Aren’t we supposed to be sharing God’s love and grace? Aren’t we supposed to be extending His mercy and teaching others what it means to love each other rather than hating each other? We don’t seem to do that very well these days, though. We criticize and complain and condemn rather than try to bring others into the kingdom by sharing the message Jesus gave us to share with the world.
If all heaven rejoices at the recovery of just one sinner, then shouldn’t we be working hard to find those lost souls and introduce them to the One who can bring them back into the fold? Shouldn’t we be finding ways to befriend the lost so that they will listen to the message rather than ranting and raving against them so that they immediately feel ostracized from us?
I think Jesus wants us to pattern our lives after His. His great commission was to teach others His practices. If you look at one of the reasons the temple leaders condemned Him, it was because He associated with sinners. He ate with prostitutes and tax collectors. He talked with people the Pharisees and scribes felt were below their status and should be avoided. So if that was jesus’ practice, isn’t that what we should be doing?
That doesn’t mean we take up their habits. He never did. He never sinned, remember. He kept Himself pure in an evil world. But He associated with the lowest of the low so He could share with them the message of hope He brought to the world. Jesus didn’t care what social status someone had or the crimes they committed or what other people thought about them. He just shared the message of redemption. He shared forgiveness. And with ever person who accepted His message, heaven erupted in joyous praise.
So why have we forgotten that message? Why do we let little meaningless things get in the way of showing God’s love to those who need it most? Instead, we have a tendency to first complain, criticize, and condemn. The world needs more love and laughter. We need more Christians to extend the hand of friendship to those who do not know Christ. How else can we share the message? We certainly can’t expect sinners to listen to a message filled with hate and condemnation, can we? That generates a fight for flight response. We don’t want that. We want them to know our Jesus. Only a friend can share that message. Jesus knew that. That’s why He ate with and talked with and worked with those that needed Him most.
So today as you go about your daily routine, who in the circle of people you meet do you need to reach out to improve your relationship? Who needs to become more than just someone you see and change into someone that needs a friend, you? Who do you know that needs to know your Jesus? The only way you can introduce Him is to get to the point in your relationship that he or she will trust you enough to know you genuinely care about their eternity. Only friends do that. Does that compromise your purity? It didn’t for Jesus. He didn’t change His behavior. He just made friends wherever He went. It’s one of His practices we need to improve upon.
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