In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that during his student days he read the Gospels seriously and considered converting to Christianity. He believed that in Jesus he could find the solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. So one Sunday he decided to attend services at a nearby church and talk to the minister about becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary, however, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go worship with his own people. Gandhi left the church and never returned, “If Christians have caste differences also, “ he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu.”
While not all of us may hold the same prejudices that this usher and his church held toward Ghandi, the fact is that we make judgments on people's ability to find Jesus all the time. We even do this when we decide that we're "not good enough" for Jesus.
The fact is, none of us are worthy of Jesus' love and mercy, but he died for us anyway.
When we act in this way, it's not a great thing, because our favouritism and judgmentalism lack the love those who those who follow Jesus are commanded to have.
Today's Text: Acts 10:34-11:4, 18 NLT
God's grace is not limited to a select group of prim and proper individuals.
God adopts all who truly believe the Good News of Jesus and repent from their offences against their Creator.
Jesus brings life and his Spirit to those you expect and to those you don’t.
Action Steps:
- Repent of your unChristlike judgments of others and/or yourself.
- Consider whom you have written off as unlikely to receive Christ’s gifts and go tell them that Jesus loves them.
Prefer to listen to the message audio? Here it is: