Clay in the Hands

Jesus was a rebel.  He challenged the systems of the day.  He came and turned traditional religion on it’s ear.  The Jewish faith had evolved into quite a system.  The attitude of the Jewish religion had become something like, “God has given us the truth, we have it, you need it and when you decide to come get it, you will know where to find it.”  Paul battled this mentality as well when he began taking the Gospel to the gentiles.  The Jewish Christians struggled with gentiles becoming Christians.  They expected the gentiles to first become Jews and then they could become Christians – “start doing things the way we do them and then we will let you into the club.”

Sound familiar?  Do we ever have the attitude that we have the corner on what God offers and if others want it, then they can come and become like us and we will then share it with them?

Jesus turned that mentality upside down.  He took the truth to the people where they were and he calls us to do the same.  That may mean that we have to go somewhere we would not normally go.  Or it may mean that we may have to offer things at church that may not fit our tastes so that others will be drawn in.  We have got to get past the idea that we have the corner on the Gospel and that all others should just become like us in order to have it.  Jesus took the truth to folks where they were and accepted them as they were – should we not do the same?