January 10, 2024

Several years ago, I was playing basketball at the Y at lunchtime with a bunch of guys from the community. One of the guys who was playing that day was a guy who had recently visited our church. I had gotten to know him over the weeks and months that I played there, and after he heard I was pastor, he began to ask questions about God and our church. He had a pretty tough background, but he decided to come check us out. On this particular day, he made the comment in front of 3 or 4 of the other players about how much he had enjoyed the service that past Sunday. When he walked away, one of the more sarcastic guys in the group looked at me and said, “You let guys like THAT into your church?” I laughed and said, “Sure! We’ll let ANYONE come to our church—even YOU!” That got a good laugh and howls from the group.
It’s so interesting how easy it is for us to see the sin in other people’s lives and not be aware of our own. The Pharisees and religious teachers were appalled that a rabbi like Jesus would hang out with and even eat with people who were obviously not religious folk. But these same Pharisees were so blind to their own pride, lust, greed, and critical spirits that they couldn’t see that they were just as much sinners as the people they were pointing their fingers at. The day we become blind to our own desperate need for grace is the day we begin to separate into camps of “Us” and “Them.” It’s also the day we forget that every single one of us is made right with God in the very same way. Through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I want to encourage you today to spend a few moments with God reflecting on why YOU need the grace of Jesus Christ. Ask the Spirit to show you your own darkness, your own “shadow side,” and your own places of sin—whether that be attitude, outlook, habits, or behavior. But instead of looking at these as “small sins” compared to what other people do, see them like this: Each one is a lash across the back of Jesus. Each one is a nail in His Holy Body. Each one is a thorn drawing blood from His Precious Head. Let the price of your own forgiveness become real to you, and you’ll understand why Jesus welcomes ANYONE to come to Him. Prostitutes, thieves, drunks, and drug addicts. Oh yeah, and even people like YOU. That’s God’s Word for you today.