January 20, 2022

 

Pharisee or Sinner?

 

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:14

 

How many times have we seen this verse on social media? People begging for Christians to bow down and pray for God to heal our land from this awful disease called Covid. People asking God to restore Himself to leadership in this land. People demanding that God restore Donald Trump to the presidency. People living in comfort crying out for God to increase their prosperity.

 

The one thing we haven’t seen a lot of are those same people admitting their own sins. They’re too busy pointing their fingers at the sins of others to acknowledge that maybe they should change their own hardened hearts before they demand the same of others.

 

If Christians truly lived as Jesus lived, our country wouldn’t need social media posts demanding our will from God. We’d be too busy praying and serving, extending kindness and grace and a helping hand. But that might cause us to get our own hands dirty. It might make us admit we’re wrong in our judgements of people we do not know.

 

In Luke 18, Jesus told a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector both going to the temple to pray. The Pharisee was thanking God that he wasn’t like other sinners. He was praising himself for fasting and tithing. The tax collector would not even lift his eyes to heaven as he begged God for mercy on himself, a sinner.

 

Which are you? Are you the Pharisee who is so busy praising himself that he has forgotten how to humble himself before God? Or are you the sinner who names himself as such as he bows before God Almighty? Reread 2 Chronicles 7:14. Are you the haughty Pharisee or the humble sinner? Your words and actions reveal your answer.

September 3, 2018

Clean Yourself Up First

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Mark 2:17

“How many people are more worried about a kid wearing a hat in the sanctuary than his heart?” It was an honest, if brutal, question posed by our Youth Minister.

We like to get caught up in appearances, don’t we? We are all about appropriate dress and appropriate behavior in church. Take those crying babies to the nursery! Tell that man to take a bath! Make those kids stop squirming! How dare someone sit on “my” pew! The music minister needs to pick different songs! The pastor talks too long! Should I keep going?

Why do we attend Sunday morning worship services? Is it to see who was there and to be seen by others? Or is it to truly worship God Almighty?

Why do we act as though others should clean themselves up to our standards before they enter our doors? If only “clean” people could walk into the sanctuary, there would be no one there. When did we stop realizing that?

We had a new person attend our Sunday school class this week. Apparently, she’s been attending church for a while but would never venture into a small group. Another class member has encouraged her and she joined us. I don’t know her story. I don’t need to know. She is broken and hurting inside. That’s obvious. She is going through the motions but barely hanging on. I’m really glad she came.

Church isn’t about having it all together before you walk in the building. It isn’t about knowing all the answers. It isn’t about making light conversation. It isn’t really even about reading Bible verses. We come together to worship God and love one another.

We spend a lot of time on prayer requests in my class. Some people don’t like it and end up leaving. Others come to hear the names of people they love lifted up. How do I know? They tell me. An awful situation somehow gets filled with hope when people gather around and pray about it.

Church isn’t a social club, where you put on your best behavior and pretend life is fine. At least, it shouldn’t be. Church should be the one place above all others where everyone is welcome and accepted, loved and cared about.

At one point in my life I attended church for a totally selfish reason. Do you want to know what it was? The hugs that came during fellowship time. It was the only time I was ever touched by another human being and I craved that connection. No one knew. They were just good people being Jesus. But I felt it and it led me into a deeper connection with the One who makes me whole.

We forget sometimes that Jesus came for sinners, for the outcasts, for the hurting, for the thief and the blind man. He came for all those society had cast aside as unworthy. Why do we think it’s okay to cast them aside too? Why do we judge and condemn rather than love and welcome?

We are all sinners. We all need Jesus. We are all welcome at His throne.

July 22, 2018

Are You Better Than Others?

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Matthew 9:10-13

Who do you look down on? Oh, come on! Admit it. Who do you consider to be less than you? And, on the flip side, who do you consider to be better than you are?

Our pastor said today that we all want to associate with people whose sins are like ours. Why? Because it makes us more comfortable.

Of course, the Pharisees thought they were better than anyone else. They had all these rules and regulations to follow, far more than God had ever commanded. It made them feel good. It made them feel superior. It made them, well, much like us.

We don’t want to sit beside or socialize with the confessed adulterer. We don’t really care that she repented and changed her life. We prefer to paint her tainted and unworthy. We do it every time we walk away, every time we gossip about her past, every time we refuse to associate with a sinner such as she.

We would rather cast her aside with the convicted drug user. You know the one. He went to prison for his addiction. Some say he found Jesus and is leading a changed life. We’re not sure anyone can change that much. We don’t plan to find out. We’re keeping our distance. He can go to some other church, sing in some other choir, volunteer with some other group. We don’t need his kind in our congregation.

Have you felt a twinge of guilt yet? You should. Jesus associated with the worst of sinners. He even called them to His side, to be His disciples, to lead His people after He was gone.

Take Matthew for an example. Tax collectors were despised. They collected oppressive taxes. And, to make it worse, they could add extra to those taxes and keep that money for themselves. Why would Jesus call such a man to His side? Why would Jesus beckon someone like that to be a leader in the early church?

Jesus gives us the answer Himself. He came to save sinners, not those who consider themselves righteous. Jesus came to save those of us who know we need a Savior.

In turn, Jesus expects us to show grace and mercy to others who also need a Savior. Because we’re all the same. We’re all guilty. We’re all unworthy. And we can all find redemption at the foot of the cross.

Those who are most gracious, most kind, most giving, are those who truly understand the gift of salvation. They understand the depth of their sins and show their gratitude by welcoming all into their midst.

What about you? Are you still so impressed with your own righteousness that you see no need to associate with those who are lesser? Or are you still so ashamed of past mistakes that you hang back from fully participating in God’s amazing plan for your life?

No matter what you’ve done, where you’ve been, who you think you are, join hands with others and kneel at the cross. Jesus welcomes everyone. So should we.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Everyone Makes Mistakes

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners -- of whom I am the worst."

-- 1 Timothy 1:15

Everyone knows someone who thinks he's better than anyone else. You may even see that person at church every Sunday. He (or she) is the one who looks down on all the rest of us, believing that his sins aren't nearly as bad as ours. It would be pointless to argue that sin is sin. He would be too busy being right to hear you anyway.

The Apostle Paul was an honest man. He didn't attempt to hide his past. It wouldn't have worked anyway. And he didn't make excuses for what he'd done. He simply accepted Jesus' sacrifice and His call on Paul's life. It's easy to believe Paul when he tells us that Jesus came to save all sinners because Paul was a sinner like you and me. He wanted to destroy all Christians. Oh, but look what Jesus can do when He transforms a sinner's life.

"But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life." -- 1 Timothy 1:16

Jesus never gives up on us, no matter where we've been or what we've done. He uses our mistakes for His Glory. He lifts us up and rebuilds us in a way that honors Him. Don't let someone else look down on you for any mistakes you have made. And don't keep apologizing for a past you can't change. Follow Paul's example. Move on and praise Jesus all the way Home.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Jesus Welcomed Everyone

Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

-- Luke 15:1-2

Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you do welcome sinners. Jesus reached out to those others looked down on with contempt. Jesus saw the good in people the religious leaders had forsaken. Jesus offered Himself for everyone.

A young woman attending a Christmas service recently remarked on the stench of a homeless man who sat beside her. She is an honest woman and she admitted struggling not to grimace or change seats. The man had come to join others as they celebrated Jesus' birthday. How could she reject or hurt him in any way? She couldn't.

Other people aren't so kind. Other people aren't so determined to live their faith. They want people to fit into their cookie cutter view of who and what a Christian is. They welcome people like them. They turn a cold shoulder to those who are different -- the hurting, the homeless, the sick, the sinners.

Oh, that's right. We're all sinners. All of us. Some may cover their stench was soap and perfume but the stench is there just the same. Jesus welcomed everyone. What about you?

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Jesus Welcomes Sinners

"When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is -- that she is a sinner.'" -- Luke 7:39

Thank you, Lord, that you are far more welcoming than many of the pious who inhabit the churches around us. Thank you that you are quick to recognize a repentant heart and extend a welcoming hand to your people. May your words convict those who judge others more harshly than themselves. And may we show your mercy and kindness to those who judge us unfairly.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Some Church Goers Are Lost

"You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill; there you went up to offer your sacrifices. Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols;" -- Isaiah 57:7-8a

When I was a young person, I remember looking at numerous Christians in disgust. Yeah. I know. Shocking. It's also true. I wasn't a church goer. I wanted to be. And I even knew a few really good Christians. My Gran and my Aunt Murl stand front and center in that memory. But I also knew many Sunday morning Christians. You know the kind. They put on a good show for the pastor and everyone else on Sunday mornings and then come Monday they're back to doing as they please until the next Sunday morning rolls around.

Eventually, the Holy Spirit got hold of me and convinced me that church was a good thing. I went away to college and was baptized in an awesome church. The people there welcomed the college students with open arms. The church was so packed they had to set up folding chairs in the aisles every Sunday morning. And, you know, I never heard one person talk about what a financial burden we all must have been. They just loved us. So we told our friends and they told theirs and, well, people just kept coming to that wonderful church.

It still bothers me sometimes when I see people show up for church and act so self-righteous. We're all sinners. I don't want anyone to think I'm suggesting that folks stay away until they get it together. None of us would ever go to church if that were the case. No, I just get upset when people pretend to be better than they are and better than the rest of us. Cause it just isn't so.

I wonder if they believe that coming to church on Sunday makes them Christians? Maybe they don't care. I don't know. I just look around and see so many wonderful Christians reaching out, stumbling, getting up again, helping someone else, falling down, moving forward -- and on and on. We're all trying and sometimes failing but our hearts are determined to follow Jesus. I don't see that in some people at church. Does anyone else understand what I'm saying?

I believe we're called to share the gospel with the lost. I believe we're supposed to help the poor and lonely and less fortunate. But I also believe we need to look around us and see the person next to us at church. We shouldn't assume that he's a Christian just because he looks right at home.

God knows our hearts. He knows those who love Him and honor Him with actions and words. He also knows those who say all the right things, then turn aside because their hearts were never committed to serving Jesus. Those people are just as lost as those who have never heard the story of Christ's sacrifice for our sins. We need to tell them. Jesus meant His sacrifice to be for them too.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Respond to Jesus Today

"Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.'" -- Luke 19:9-10

Zacchaeus was a really unpopular man. He was a tax collector. Folks viewed tax collectors as thieves and sinners. Nobody wanted to associate with them. We don't know if Zacchaeus was an honest man or not. The Bible doesn't tell us. But people judged him as dishonest and looked down on Zacchaeus for being a sinner.

Zacchaeus had to know how people felt about him. He didn't seem to care though. Jesus was coming and he wanted to see. Zacchaeus climbed a tree to get a better look. As Pastor Meghan said today, sometimes we have to remove ourselves from the crowd to truly see what's right in front of us.

Zacchaeus did see. Truly. Jesus singled him out and Zacchaeus responded. While the crowd grumbled that Jesus was going to a sinner's house, Zacchaeus repented and vowed to give half his possessions to the pour and pay back anyone he had cheated four times the amount.

I wonder how many of us are like the people in that crowd. We judge someone by their profession. We hold ourselves up as better than someone else. We make a nasty comment or listen as someone else does the talking. Somehow we think we're better people, better Christians, than those "sinners" we see around us.

How many people have walked away from Jesus because of what they saw in us? How tragic is that? We're supposed to reflect the light of Jesus. We're supposed to show people His hope, His kindness, His compassion. Instead, we're so busy judging that we can't see our own reflections in the mirror. We don't see ourselves as the sinners we truly are.

Zacchaeus really saw Jesus that day. He understood what and who he was. And he wanted to know Jesus. Truly know Him. We see that in his public repentance and vow to change and make restitution. Repentance always has an outward appearance, Pastor Meghan told us. On that day, Zacchaeus climbed a tree, saw himself as he really was and changed his life.

How about us? Are we willing to do something different today so that we can see ourselves a little more clearly? It doesn't have to be dramatic. You could sit somewhere different in church. You could stop talking about volunteering and actually do it. Maybe you could give someone your smile or a kind word on a bad day. It doesn't have to be dramatic. Small changes can make a huge impact on the lives around us.

Jesus is reaching out to you and me just as he reached out to Zacchaeus on that day long ago. How will we respond?

Thursday, August 19, 2010

  Judgment Turns Back
        -- Every Time

"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things." -- Romans 2:1

Some days I look around and see judges everywhere. It frightens me. Not because I fear their judgmental glances and backstabbing words. No, I'm afraid because I know what God does to those who judge others. Been there, done that, as the saying goes. And I don't ever, ever want to go back there again.

I really don't know why we sometimes think we know better than anyone else. I don't understand how we can rationalize our sins as being less than those of another. I don't know why we think we can turn our superior noses upward and look down on people who are struggling with their own sins and its consequences. But we do.

God, however, has a way of making sure we develop compassion and humility. Like the man who quickly judged and condemned the mistake of a fellow church member. He refused to extend forgiveness even though the sinner expressed regret and vowed to live a different life. Now, that same man watches in helpless agony as his child makes a similar mistake and suffers the consequences. Somehow I doubt that man will be as quick to judge next time.

Or take the woman who values her lifestyle almost as much as she values her husband and children. She watches her sibling struggle financially, making bad mistakes and stumbling every time he seems to get his life together. I see the future so clearly and it breaks my heart. She doesn't understand that she and her husband are but one layoff or one major illness away from the same fate. She'll learn compassion one day. Guaranteed.

I used to think I had it all together. I had a good life filled with good things like a prestigious address, a status car and awesome vacations. One phone call and grief destroyed everything I thought I valued. Now, people look down at me because I no longer strive for financial gain at the cost of relationships. I spend time studying the Bible, both alone and with others, as I seek His will. He is permanent, solid and strong. He is dependable, no matter what comes my way. I learned the hard way to cling to that rock.

That's the thing about judging others. It always comes back on you. Always. No exceptions. God has called us to be compassionate and kind, forgiving and welcoming to others. It doesn't mean accepting sin. It means acknowledging that we all sin. I means showing others the same level of forgiveness that God has shown and continues to show to each of us. It's a lesson we all learn, one way or another.