*found in my drafts. originally written several months ago*
Mark 2:13-17
"13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
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I read this this morning, and when I read verse 15, I imagined Jesus laughing. He was enjoying Himself. He was in the company of tax collectors, sinners, and disciples alike, and He was reclined, having a good time, laughing. I don't know what they were talking about, but I would love to have been there, in the immediate presence of Jesus. I would have been categorized into that group of sinners, and yet we would have be having great, full conversation.
Then the scribes of the Pharisees would come waltzing into the room, asking Jesus' disciples why He was in the presence of me and my fellow sinners. I would start to doubt. I would start to question. "Why is He here? Why does He care about us?"
Jesus would then speak, and dispel all doubts and fears. He tells them that He knows we are sinners, that we are sick and in need of healing. It's His love for us that He is even on this earth. That He is here. He came for me. For you.
I was talking with a friend yesterday and he made a point that has been on my mind since. We tend to be very bubble-minded people. Not bubble-minded in a ditzy blonde kind of way, but that we tend to stay in our circles, our bubbles, of Christianity. We close ourselves off and stay within our church family so much that it can make us spiritually sick. We go to church on Sunday, sometimes even Sunday AND Saturday, and then go to home group on Thursday, youth group on Wednesday, a worship service on Monday, prayer group on Friday, and... What's left? Tuesday? So we start looking, asking around if there are any groups that meet on Tuesday night and we start going to that, too.
But do you see the problem in relation to what Jesus is doing in Mark 2? All we're doing is hanging out with our buddies, our fellow Christians, and not going out and being the hands and feet of Jesus. Jesus sat with those who came to Him knowing that He could help them. What are we doing? Staying in our safe little bubble, only helping each other. Now, I'm not saying that we as Christians don't need help anymore now that we've accepted Christ. I'm not saying that at all. We are still human and sin every day of our lives. But Jesus is chillin with his buddies and the sinners and tax collectors AT THE SAME TIME. Two heads are better than one, so a whole group of people to answer non-Christian's questions? Even better! We can show them love together. As a whole. As a group of people who know that being of one body is important. We are the body of Christ, so shouldn't we be doing these things together?
We just need to get out of our four walls. Get out of the buildings and just start doing what we do... outside. Where we can witness to people better than inside. People can see us, hear us, and speak to us when they want to. We can't just close ourselves off to them. We have to be available. We need to create relationships with them. Jesus had relationships outside of His family and disciples. Some of them were Christians and some of them were not.
Jesus is the one we are following. Jesus is the one we should be imitating. Jesus should be a fire within us, burning to get outside and shine.
I want a burning fire within me! I want to be so consumed with God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit that everything else fades in comparison. I want that every second of every day of my life.
"I made my castle tall / I built up every wall / this is my kingdom and it needs to fall /
I want you and no on else / empty me of myself / until the only thing that's left is/
More of You and less of me / Make me who I'm meant to be /
You're all I want / All I need, you're everything /
Take it all, I surrender / Be my King /
God I choose more of You and less of me /
I need more you, more of you /"
~ Colton Dixon, "More Of You"
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