I was reading Mark 2 the other day and I found it interesting that when Jesus preached everyone listened. Not only did they listen but there was standing room only. It was so bad that a group of friends cut a hole in the roof so that they could lower their friend down. Jesus was in demand; he was the cat’s meow, the hot topic. What has happened since then?
Jesus is still Jesus, he is still alive, and he is still reaching out to people but why are people not interested in his message anymore? Do people not need his help anymore? Are preachers all just so very lousy that no one can stand to listen to them? Did we, the Church, stop sharing the message of hope?
This leaves one to ponder what is wrong with the Church today? What traditions do we have today that if Jesus walked in and saw he would look at it and just openly rebel and we would question him about it? What is it that we have missed about sharing the gospel that he was all over and that it drew people to him? I live in a nation that is very generous to those who are less fortunate. I go to a church and work with other churches who will bend over backwards to help the lost, the down trodden, and those in need. The churches I have belonged to have shown unconditional love to those of the world trying to accept them where they are at so that they will become Christians as well but they don’t, Why?
What I have not seen very much of is the unconditional love of your brother. For an outsider the mainstream Christian religion looks like a group of people who love God, Love them but love their brother when it is convent. We say to our brothers, “You better get your life right then come back and talk to me”, “I would be more willing to help you if you did more at church”, “If you really believed in Jesus bad things would not happen to you”, “I can’t help you right now but I will keep you in my prayers”. What happened to just loving someone when they needed it? Not because they deserved it but because that’s what Jesus wants us to do.
We struggle with loving one another when we are at our worst but that is when we need it the most. The world looks at us and says why would I want to be a part of this “hating group”? Jesus says they will know we are Christians by our Love…maybe the world is not seeing that Love. I am going to take every opportunity I can to extend the unconditional love I was freely given to those around me and maybe it will spread.
