Welcome!
Today: God is for the broken and the barren
Passage: John 20 (NIV)
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20, NIV) -emphasis added
Mary Magdalene was in the forefront among the women who went to the tomb of Jesus early on the resurrection morning, to anoint His body. However, she was first greeted with a “shock” and then, a “surprise”. Shock because the body was missing; surprise because she saw Jesus, alive!
Even though the disciples were also there, it was to this woman that Jesus appeared first-a woman who has been a sinner once, who was transformed by the love of Christ. Jesus looked at her soul while others looked at her body. Jesus knew, that deep inside, she had a heart that was thirsting for real peace
How do we look at “sinners”? Jesus came looking for sinners, not saints. We better look at sinners as the best candidates for grace; and they are!
The other day, a brother was asking me this question: How come David, who committed one of the worst sins ever, become so important? David killed another man and took his wife for himself
It is a mystery. It is the mystery called grace. God punished David for his mistake. But, as David repented with a total brokenness, as he got “lust” out of his heart completely, God forgave his sins.
Many times we like to speak something bad about the person everybody speaks bad about; otherwise, we may look bad!
During the time of Jesus’ ministry on earth, he said this parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector praying. The pharisee prayed like most of us: “Lord, I thank you because I am better than that sinner….”
We may not literally say so, but that is how our attitude is
The tax collector knew he was in sin. He knew that he was forcefully taking money out of others, which was wrong. (What they were doing, was nothing compared to how some people tactfully get money and other things out of others)
Jesus came to preach grace (which comes from love) and truth-two elements mostly missing in the church today
We like churches to be “five-star”, full of people who beautifully cover their sins with expensive costumes and cars and stuff. If we want to see Jesus, we need real brokenness. We have lost compassion and got compromise with sin instead; lust instead of love and greed instead of grace
Have a blessed day!
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a pharisee, a hypocrite, to be more precise. I ask you pardon for my wrong attitudes and for covering up my sins so that I will look good in front of others. Give me brokenness that you desire from me. Amen
When what is important to God becomes important to us, we become important to God