Jesus heals rejection

What could a 4,000 year-old Law, given to a group of 2 million homeless former slaves, have anything to do with our living our life today?  After God had miraculously shown his power over the fake gods of Egypt He led His people out of slavery, through the Red Sea, to His Mountain.  There God gave Moses His commands so that evil would be restrained and love would be encouraged.  One of those commands was to Honor Parents.  This meant that adult children were to take care of the needs of their parents, especially in their parents’ old age when they are more dependent.  Two thousand years later, when God had not sent a prophet in 500 years, the religious leaders of Jesus time didn’t want to follow God’s command.  They wanted to keep their money.  They made up their own rule that sounded godly, but was designed to get around God’s command of love.  The Pharisees taught that if a man said that what he owned was devoted to God he didn’t have to help his old, struggling parents with it.  Then, when he wanted to use it for himself, he said it was not devoted to God.  Jesus was disgusted with these men and their uncaring hypocrisy.  Especially because they claimed to represent God and gave their followers the impression that God was like them.

Jesus said to the people that they needed to respect their leaders, but do not be like them.  God said in the Bible about these Pharisees hundreds of years ahead of time, “These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.”  The Pharisees were very concerned with looking right, but cared little about their own real evil thoughts and motives.

What does this have to do with us today, 2,000 to 4,000 years later?  Do you know anyone that claims to know Jesus, and tries to “look” right but doesn’t accept you, thinks they are better than you?  That is a hard place to be.  Maybe you have attitudes and actions that the Bible says are wrong.  And the “so-called-Jesus-followers” look down on you because of it.  This should never be.  Jesus accepts you.  Jesus died for you.  Jesus spent most of his time with those whom the religious leaders of his day rejected.  It was the “sinners” who first came to accept Jesus not the religious.  

So if Jesus freely accepts us how does he feel about our attitudes and actions the Bible says are wrong?  Jesus calls us to trust him to help us turn away from sin.  You may feel that sin has taken you prisoner with no way out.  This is a lie of satan.  Or, you may feel you have no sin.  This is just as much a lie of satan.  Jesus knows we can’t free ourselves from satan’s power in our own strength.  If we could we would have a long time ago.  No, he asks us to turn away from sin by his power.  And his power is limitless.  Ask Jesus to come into your life, free you from sin, and give you a brand new life, a life truly built on love and forgiveness.  He answers that prayer every time.

Oh, and what about the people that rejected you?  Now you can offer Jesus to them.