Thursday, January 15, 2009
Associating With Sinners
The joke of course is that we are all sinners. Well, I won't speak for you (but you are one!). My favorite story in the bible is the story of the prodigal father in Luke 15. To me it so clearly reveals the character of God. It is the same God who hung on the cross and asked that everyone in the mob (where I was standing at the time) be forgiven because they didn't know what they were doing. Jesus himself was reflecting that same character when he associated with "tax collectors and other notorious sinners." It says they came to hear him teach, but they would not have been able to unless they were welcomed by him, and they would not know they would be welcomed by him unless he had already encountered some of them and they had felt his welcome already (and passed the word to other notorious sinners). Jesus came not only to reveal who God is, but also to call us to who God has made us to become. In welcoming notorious sinners he was showing us how to spread his teaching, his love. Old school religion taught me to avoid notorious sinners lest I become one. Jesus shows me that unless I befriend those who appear to be far from God they may miss him-and that would be a shame-and one that I as a Jesus follower would need to share.
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I am enjoying reading the Bible and journaling.
ReplyDeleteSteve, I may be way out in left field here, but, the story of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38)
ReplyDeletebought back memories of when I was a little girl. I love the way you add a bit of wit to the Scripture helps to remember it (the Scripture). Maybe this one will help too. I am from Potts Camp, Mississippi a small town with a bit over three hundred people. My Momma almost never went to Church except, to hear me sing, a Wedding or a Funeral. But, she would always fix an evening meal for the visiting Pastor when it was Revival time, back then they had Revival's that would last a week being Potts Camp was so small they always were looking for someone to volunteer. Mom always did.
She would busy herself all week cleaning, cooking etc. Well this time, it seemed she really went to extra trouble. That evening when Daddy got home from work, it was almost time for the Visiting Pastor and our local Pastor to arrive for dinner. Daddy noticed that Momma had made two cakes. He said Margaret, why did you bake two cakes? Momma said, well Frank I made and Angel food and a Devi's food. I just want to see which one the Pastor's will eat. When we all set down to dinner it seemed they would never finish talking and get to the desserts. Finally they did and Momma said, I have two cakes one Angel food and one Devil Food which would you like, the visiting Pastor said Margaret I think I will have a small slice of both ( I tried hard to figure out the look on my Momma's face, tho, I never did) with that everyone decided to have a piece of both.
It just made me think of how Martha hurried so and worried about many things, Mom did too. But Jesus said "Only one thing is needed".
Maybe this will help remember that..
Jil Bruehl
Jil I love making the scripture my own. A wise teacher said that the only bible we have is the one we carry in our hearts. Laying my own way of thinking alongside what I'm reading is a way for me to put myself in the word and to remember it. Looks like you have found a way to do the same for yourself. If all the bibles in the world were to disappear you would still have Mary and Martha in your book.
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