Did you find a way to show practical love? How did it make
you feel about your walk with God? Did it make you want to continue the
adventure?
Jesus didn’t call us to show love to only those in
our social circle. He called us to love everyone. In His day, the outcast and
hated person was the tax collector. Who is the outcast in your social circle? Think
of one specific person, or group of people, as you apply Jesus’ teaching to
this area of your life.
As Jesus
passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and
he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and
followed him. 10 And
as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and
sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw
this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax
collectors and sinners?” 12 But
when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no
need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and
learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matt
9:9-13 (ESV)
Not only did Jesus eat with a hated tax collector, He also
called one to be a disciple! Do you envision the disciples as pious and
righteous men worthy of service to a Holy God? Well, they weren’t. They were men
who had the same needs, desires, and sin natures as we do. Yet Jesus called
them to be His. He showed no distinction of class. He didn’t look for specific
social standing. Jesus looked at a person’s heart and called those who
truly sought Him. Should we not behave the same toward those individuals or
groups that we find less than savory?
In this story, we see two types of people: those who were
eating with Jesus (the sinners) and the Pharisees (the righteous). Why do you think that Jesus said that He came
to call sinners and not the righteous? Have you ever acted “holier than thou”?
How has that affected your ability to show God’s love?
How has this week’s study affected the way you think about
others? The way you choose to act toward people not of your “class” or “social
standing”? Will you choose to act less like a Pharisee and more like a child of
God?
Do you sometimes feel your prayers aren’t being answered?
Could it be because your unloving actions toward others doesn’t please God, and
so your prayers are hindered?
Beloved,
if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we
receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
23 And this is his commandment,
that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just
as he has commanded us. 24
Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we
know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. 1 John 3:21-24 (ESV)
As we close week 5, I pray that you will choose to memorize
1 John 3:24. It will help you through those times when you just – don’t – want –
to – love.
We have one more week of this study, and then we’re on to a
study in living victoriously when times are tough. I pray that this study will
continue to bless you, and that the things you have learned will be burned into
your heart so your actions reflect life as a child of God.
How’s the Bible reading? Are you keeping up? I hope so. This
week we’re reading more Psalms and learning that the writers didn’t always feel
so victorious themselves. We see anguish and depression as well as joy and
victory. I pray that you’ll stop by the other blog –
readthroughthebiblechallenge.blogspot.com – and post your comments about how
the Word is helping you every day!
See you next week.
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