Preparing Our Hearts for Easter: Day 7

An article by Frank    No Comments

In the lead up to Easter we will be putting up a new lent devotion each week day. These devotions will also be available in the discussions section of our Facebook page and will be played on New Zealand’s Rhema.

In Luke 7:34 Jesus gives us the words of a scornful generation describing him as a glutton, a drunkard and a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Jesus, friend of sinners.

Luke, the master storyteller then presents us with a story that introduces those who were considered good in their time and a woman who is seen as a sinner, looked down on by the religious leaders of her community. Jesus shuts down the spiteful comments of his religious dinner host as he devotes his attention to the woman who expresses her gratitude to him.

This is the Jesus who touched lepers, hung out with tax collectors, forgave prostitutes, gave time to children, forgave his own executors, healed the sick, invited fishermen to follow him and opened the Kingdom of God to gentiles. He embraced those others neglected.

As we prepare our hearts for Easter lets allow ourselves to be challenged by this. It is easy to love those who love us. It is easy to befriend those who don’t offend our moral sensibilities, it’s not so easy to befriend and express love to those our society pushes aside and whose friendship could hurt our social status.

As we consider the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, let’s consider being open to sacrificing our own social standing to embrace those Jesus would embrace, those very people who embody Jesus himself. Let’s be willing to reach out and touch those neglected by the standards of our world even if it feels uncomfortable.

Pray

Jesus, open us up to those who our world neglects. Like you, help us to be a friend of sinners, those others look down on – allow us to view everyone as equals.

Amen