THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 8:5-13
“But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside…” (Matthew 8:12)
We need to let the shock of these words sink in.
Imagine if Jesus said many members of the church would be thrown outside.
The ones we expect to be in are not, and the ones we expect to be out are not.
As Christians we often speak about those who are saved, and those who are not.
We ‘judge’ people based on how they measure up to our standards of faith.
How could a Roman centurion – the equivalent of a Nazi soldier in Poland in WW2 – be welcomed?
By what we see, by how we measure, we’re pretty sure we know who is in and out.
This is not arbitrary, its not that God will punish the good and embrace the wicked.
But what God measures, how God sees us, is based on inward truth, not just outward form.
My theory is that we are going to be in for a big surprise.
It is not for us to declare whether someone – of any faith, religion or reputation – is saved or not.
We are saved (forgiven and restored) by grace, and God’s grace is more generous than ours.
He sees the mustard seeds of faith, ones that are too small for us to discern.
For me, it seems better to speak of ‘the loved’ rather than ‘the saved’.
We don’t know who is saved, but we do know who is loved – everyone.
“Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.” (Matthew 8:8)
No one deserves Jesus’ mercy, no one ‘is good enough’ for God.
Only when we recognize this, that we ALL depend on God’s mercy and grace, will we be admissible.
May we all reach this place of humility and honesty.
And may we all see that we are all equally invited to God’s feast – by grace alone!
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, Your mercy is amazing, its shocking. Forgive me for seeing some people as beyond Your grace. Help me to see myself as equal to all people in need of Your forgiveness and love.