Weakness in Numbers

Luke 15: Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. ² And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” ³ So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

⁴ “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? ⁵ And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ ⁷ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

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After a while I felt comfortable attending church. I mean the people looked like me, acted like me and smiled in my face when I told them “I” did something good. “You want to go to the club with us?” was the question from one of my “former friend’s.” “Nah. I’m just going to stay at home” was my response.

• Somewhere along the way, I stopped hanging out with “sinners”.
• Some path led me to stop being around those who blatantly did “sinful” things.
• Somehow I determined it was not good for me to hang out with “those” sinful people.

JESUS spoke to the “churchy” people when they complained about “those” HE chose to hang around. HE responded in a direct way towards their implied accusations of “being sinful” by hanging around “sinners.” HE says “Heaven will rejoice over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine people who “think” they are clean.”

• GOD says to me “Be one of the sheep who needs to be cleaned.”
• GOD says to me “Do not think more highly of yourself, lest you shall fall.”
• GOD says to me “I found you, so go and look for MY lost sheep.”

Gatherings with people who believe in JESUS as their personal Savior should be so much more than a money collecting hut, filled with self-claimed righteous people. GOD wants me to have enough grace for myself to be able to go out and tell HIS loving story to many people.

HE wants me to drop my judgment on others, as much as I can, so I can approach those who are rejecting JESUS and HIS gift of the HOLY SPIRIT. I do know I have limitations. In other words, I must respect GOD’s power and know HE created many people to reach those I cannot. Instead of complaining about my neighbor HE wants me to reach my neighbor. I am a found sinner.

• Do you look down on someone?
• Have you judged someone and feel they are helpless?
• Will you drop the judgment you have of others and show them compassion so maybe, just maybe, they can turn their eyes to CHRIST today?