We
all relate well to people who we like and who like us. But many times, we
struggle with people who are not like us or we don’t agree with their
lifestyle. We don’t always relate well to broken people. Jesus did.
In
Matthew 9 Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector, to come and follow Him. Matthew
then arranges a dinner party at his house with Jesus as the special guest with
Mathew’ s friends, other tax collectors. When the Pharisees see Jesus eating
with tax collectors and other “sinners” they question why Jesus would eat with
such bad people.
In
Matthew 9:12-13 Jesus answers, “But when He heard it, He said, ‘Those who are
well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.’ Go and learn what
this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus
relates to broken people with mercy.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is relating to all people with mercy.
In
Luke 19 Jesus encounters another tax collector, Zacchaeus. Jesus invites
Himself to Zacchaeus’ house for lunch. Zacchaeus repents of his sin and
wrongdoing. Jesus says that salvation had come to that house that day.
In
Luke 19:10 Jesus says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.”
Jesus
relates to broken people with acceptance.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is relating to all people with acceptance of
them as a person, as a creation of God who is loved by God.
In
Luke 7 Jesus is at the home of a Pharisee having dinner. A woman comes into the
house and washes his feet with her tears and wipes them with her hair and kisses
His feet and anoints His feet with an ointment. She was a woman with a sinful
reputation. When the Pharisee saw this, he made the comment that if Jesus was
really a prophet He would know what kind of woman she was.
In
Luke 7:48 Jesus says to this sinful woman, “Your sins are forgiven” Then in
verse 50 Jesus tells the woman that her faith had saved her.
Jesus
relates to broken people with forgiveness.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is forgiving others as Jesus has forgiven us.
In
John 4 Jesus encounters a Samarian woman. She had been married many times and
was living with a man that she was not married to. Jesus has an extensive
conversation with her. Jesus never condemns her. He offers her living water,
and she becomes so excited about Jesus that she goes back to the Samarian
village and tells them that she has encountered the Messiah.
Jesus
relates to broken people with grace.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is showing God’s grace to all people no matter
who they are or how they live or what they believe.
In
John 8 a woman is brought to Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees who they say
was caught in the act of adultery. They point out to Jesus that the Law says to
stone her, and they then ask what Jesus thinks should be done. Jesus tells them
that the one without sin should cast the first stone and they all leave.
In
John 8:10 Jesus asks the woman, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned
you?”
Then
in John 8:11 that woman says, “No one, Lord.” Jesus then says to the woman,
“Neither do I condemn you; go and from now on sin no more.”
Jesus
relates to broken people with love.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is loving all people just as Jesus loves us
and them.
We
as followers of Jesus are to relate to broken people with mercy and acceptance
and forgiveness and grace and love. We are to relate to broken people that way
because that is how Jesus relates to us. We were all broken at one time and
Jesus has redeemed and forgiven and is remaking us into His image.
Like
Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
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