Jesus Welcomes All Of Us
"So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?"
-- Acts 11:17
I've always enjoyed reading about Peter. He was so out there. Okay, sometimes he could have used a little restraint. But he was so passionate. I admire that. In this passage, Luke tells us how Peter had a vision and, thus, he learned that God intended for the Gentiles to be saved just as the Jews were saved.
That was a big deal. Jews were God's chosen people. Gentiles were just left out, with no hope of salvation. They were considered outsiders and unworthy. Until Jesus, that is. He included them. I'm quite thankful for that. As a Gentile, I am thrilled that God chose me as His child.
So maybe I am particularly sensitive to what Pastor Susannah refers to as the church being an inclusive community as opposed to being an exclusive community. It's not a social club or a popularity contest that only includes those who are "one of us." Jesus opened the doors for all believers to be baptisized by the Holy Spirit.
We get so caught up in the rituals and rules that we forget church really is about the relationships we have with others. I've always gotten upset when some churches insist on a particular dress code or appear to view people of a certain color or economic status as being more worthy and welcome. Jesus welcomed all believers. Who are we to view some as more worthy than others?
Pastor Susannah talked about the Methodist saying, "Open Doors. Open Hearts. Open Minds." It just makes so much sense. Jesus opened the doors of heaven to all believers. He called us to open our hearts and love everyone just as He loves us. And we are to open our minds to accept those who aren't exactly mirror images of ourselves. Doing so allows us to grow and truly become Christians who are focused on relationships and the true mission we've been called to proclaim.
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