October 2015
Imagine how surprised you would be to discover that the
world-renowned architect Richard Rogers was designing a very ordinary loft
extension for the house next door; “Why is he interested in that?” you might
wonder. Or think how angry you would be
if a local magistrate was regularly seen hanging out with people well-known for
their criminal scheming; “Doesn’t she know what these people are like?”
In the same way there was deep surprise and anger over the
people Jesus was interested in and the company he kept. Why did he spend his time with those
considered ‘worthless’ when his friends were claiming for him the prestigious
title ‘Christ’ (ie Divine King). Why
would he have time for greedy cheats when he himself was so totally incorruptible? And why did he welcome those whose sexual
lives were in a mess when he claimed that he would one day be the final judge
of everyone.
Jesus was not embarrassed by the outrage but said it was
what he’d come for – he was a doctor to the sick and a rescuer to those in
danger. In one of the stories that he
told to silence the grumblers a son distances himself from his father and ends
up in a mess. The surprise is that when
he comes to his senses and decides to throw himself on his father’s mercy he is
welcomed home with a lavish party. Jesus
is like that Father. You can be too
self-righteous to come to Jesus and submit to the treatment of this loving
doctor but you can’t be too lost or too guilty.
He came to find those who had distanced themselves from God and bring
them back home. And he is still doing
that today.
“The Son of Man (that’s Jesus) came to seek and to save lost
people” (Luke 19:10).
Sincerely
Graham Burrows
