How
are we as God’s people to relate and respond to the world?
First,
we have to understand what the word “world” means in the context in which it is
used at different places in the Bible.
In
John 3:16 it says that God so loved the world.
In
1 John 2:15 John writes, “Do not love the world or the things of the world.”
So,
if Jesus loves the world, but I am told not to love the world, what is up with
that?
In
John 3:16 Jesus is saying that God loves the people that live in the world.
In
1 John 2:15 John is telling us not love the values, principles, or philosophies
of the world.
We
are to be in the world (loving people) but not of the world (not loving the
values or principles or philosophies of the world).
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is living in the world but not being in love
with the world’s values, principles, and philosophies.
I
believe that Jesus tells us how we do that by understanding two of His parables
and how they relate.
The
first parable is found in Luke 15 which we have called the Parable of the
Prodigal Son. I like to view it has the Parable of the Forgiving Father.
A
man had two sons and the younger of the two sons says to his father, “Father,
give me the share of the property that is coming to me.”
The
young man was basically saying to his father that he wishes he was dead. The
young man would only have a right to this property when his father was dead.
The
father gives the young man what he asks for. The young man then leaves and goes
to a “far country” and squanders his inheritance in reckless living. When the
young man is completely broke, a severe famine hits the country. The young man,
who is Jewish, is so desperate that he takes a job feeding pigs. He gets so
hungry that what he is feeding the pigs is beginning to look good to him. He
realizes that this is stupid and that he could go home and work for his father
and be better off than he is right then.
He
goes home and, as he goes, he practices the speech that he will give to try and
convince his father to take him on as a hired servant. He will admit to his
father that he is not worthy to be called his son.
But
as the young man is approaching his home, his father comes running to greet
him. The father embraces the son. He pays no attention to the son’s speech but
orders his servants to bring the best robe for the young man and put a ring on
his hand and put shoes on his feet.
Al
of these show that the father was welcoming his son back as his son not as his
hired servant. Then the father tells the servants to prepare a feast to
celebrate his son coming home.
God
is the father and we are the younger son.
We
have rebelled against God.
We
have disrespected God.
We
have rejected God.
God
still loves us and, when we see our sin, admit it, repent of it, and return to
Him, He accepts us back as His son or daughter.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is recognizing our sin, admitting our sin and
knowing that when we do that, God will receive us as His child.
When
we have experienced the unconditional love and grace of God, it needs to lead
us to the second parable.
In
Luke 10 Jesus shares the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
A
man is traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and is attacked by robbers and left
for dead.
First,
a priest comes by and sees the man and moves on without helping the man.
Second,
a Levite comes by and sees the man and moves on without helping the man.
Third,
a Samaritan comes by and sees the man and stops to help.
The
Samaritan stops, deals with the man’s wounds, takes him into town, takes care
of him, and leaves money for the man’s care.
The
parable is shared because Jesus was asked “Who is my neighbor?” (He didn’t know
Mr. Rogers).
Jesus
makes it clear that our neighbor is to be determined based on who has needs. It
is not based on any man-made distinctions like race, wealth, background,
political views, or even moral behavior.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is seeing people like Jesus sees them and
loving them like Jesus loves them.
If
we have been forgiven by Jesus though His grace;
If
we have been accepted by the Father through His grace,
Then
we are to forgive others through God’s grace and we are to help those who have
needs, not based on whether they deserve it but based on God’s grace and His
love for them.
God’s
love for us that causes Him to pour out His grace on us has to lead us to
extend that same love and grace to others.
Loving People Like Jesus
Does and
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
