One Who Counted No
One Out
It appears to me that all too often we judge whether someone
is or is not receptive to the Gospel before we decide to share it with them. Perhaps
we think it will be a waste of time to share because they are not “ready.” However, maybe this is an area where we
really need to remember what Jesus said, “Thou shalt not judge.” Maybe, just
maybe, this is the most dangerous judgment we can make. Have we somehow decided
that we are the authority as to who can or cannot receive the saving message of
Jesus Christ?
Can we not all recall the non-Jewish people that Jesus
interacted with? It seems that only his Jewish associates had a problem with
this. There was that Greek woman (Mark 7) who wanted Jesus to heal her
demon-possessed daughter. The interaction between her and Jesus seems at first
to be rather hurtful, but Jesus had this discourse with her to teach His
disciples that salvation is available to everyone.
Jesus apparently spent quite some time talking to a sinful Samaritan
woman (John 4) about living water and her life with her significant other/s
and, once again, His disciples take exception to Him even giving her the time
or day. If He had responded to her like they wanted, not only would she not
have had the good news, but neither would those other Samaritans who came to
believe.
Jesus had time for children. It appears that His disciples
felt Jesus would be too busy or too important to interact with kids. Jesus
would deal with royalty as well as the poorest of the poor. He invited Himself
to the home of a tax collector.
As far as I can tell no one was “off the map” as far as
Jesus was concerned for receiving Him. Even those religious leaders of His day
would have found salvation if they had been willing to do but one thing - repent.
I wonder who we have written off. Oh, they are too busy, too
ignorant, too educated, too poor, too rich, too close, too distant, too skeptical,
too high maintenance, etc.
Jesus, rather than counting Saul out, confronted him face to
face with who He was. I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting (Acts 9:5).” I
wonder if introducing people to Christ rather than church doctrine or dogma
would prove that more people are “ready” than we think they are.
We tend to count out, entertainment celebrities, politicians,
prostitutes, etc. Would Jesus? Don’t they deserve a chance to hear? We know
that is what they need.
I am glad someone counted me “ready” to hear the story of
Jesus.
