Thus let your light shine in front of men, so that they may perceive your ideal acts and should glorify your Father who is in the heavens.
Matthew 5: 16, Concordant New Testament
I remember the old school church doctrine on meeting with others outside of church. For years, my social interactions were limited to those I was sure to be believers such as myself. Of course, this is not what Jesus did when He walked the earth, but it was what I was told a good Christian does. Do not be yoked to unbelievers, they told me time and again. I often wonder what Jesus would have thought of that doctrine. These days, I KNOW what He would have thought. He would have gently reminded me, what of the least of these? For Jesus never limited Himself to interactions with His disciples only. No, He is well known for going out into whichever community He happened to be in and speaking to, uplifting and sharing the news of His Father in heaven. So much so that even His devoted disciples at times questioned His choice of company, as we find with His calling of the tax collectors Matthew and Zaccheus. Jesus was never interested in befriending the most popular, but the forgotten around Him. It was Jesus who proclaimed that it was the sick who need the physician, not those healthy among us {Matthew 9:12-13}. Sadly, too many Christians fail to recognize that Jesus was laying the groundwork for we the believers to engage in community. Community has never been about a big event designed to attract crowds to a church building. Community has never been about men's conferences. Community has never even been about home groups. For all of these examples, save for the men's conferences, all too often are attended by believers who are known among the group. What of the least of these? Believe it or not, when your home group is finished for the day, there remains many of the Fathers children who are lost and wandering in the world. What does your Christian group do to reach them? Indeed, I was adept at turning my back on the hurting around me and relishing in my "God groups" sanctioned by the church. I remember the list of pastoral "approved" groups which I would see whenever I desired to branch out. As far as Jesus is concerned, this is not community. Jesus visited and reached out to the lost and weak around Him, how are we engaging in this if we simply stick with people we know? This is the question every church should be considering.
'For I hunger and you give Me to eat I thirst and you give Me to drink; a stranger was I and you took Me in; naked and you clothed Me; infirm am I and you visit Me; in jail was I and you came to Me.' "Then the just will be answering Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we perceive Thee hungering and nourish Thee, or thirsting and we give Thee drink? Now when did we perceive Thee a stranger and took Thee in, or naked and clothed Thee? "And, answering, the King shall be declaring to them, 'Verily, I am saying to you, in as much as you do it to one of these, the least of My brethren, you do it to Me.'
Matthew 25: 35-40, Concordant New Testament
The other day I participated in a podcast with my friend Dennis where we discussed my recent activities related to my fitness journey. I will delve into the meat of this journey in further detail in the future, but one part of our conversation included the group of people I have come to refer to as the gym rats. The gym rats are not a church group. In fact, I have no idea where many of their faith views are centered, or if they know the Lord. What I do know is that this is a group of people who share a common interest and come together in one place to share life. THIS is community. This is part of my community. But, it's not church approved! Neither were many in the community of Jesus during His ministry. In fact, the officials of His day often criticized Jesus for the company He kept. For Jesus, it has never been about surrounding Himself with only those who know Him. If this were true, only His disciples would have benefited from His ministry. But Jesus spread the words of the Father far and wide throughout every region He came to. Those who so desperately needed to hear His words were all too often those who were lost, the least of His brethren {Matthew 25:40}. The gym rats have never been about sermons, songs or tithing. What we ARE about is allowing the light of Christ Jesus within me to shine before those around me {Matthew 5:16}. Already, more than a few relationships have blossomed as I allow Jesus to speak through me. Community does not need to be tied to a church, it can be a coffee shop or golf group. One of my dear friends began a practice of reading his bible each morning at a local coffee shop. As time went by, different people became curious as to what he was doing and he opened up and engaged them in conversation. Not as preaching, but as friends. To this day, he has maintained relationships with many of those whom he met in his coffee shop group. THIS is community. I am grateful to be involved in my community of gym rats, and it grows with each day. I also know in my heart that it is Christ Jesus who is leading the way to those who need Him the most. It is through those who know Jesus that the world around us will come to know him as well. Let your light shine.
~Scott~
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