"You have heard that it was said, 'you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your father in hheaven; for he makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?"
Matthew 5: 43-46 NKJV
Who wouldn't you share Jesus with? Your mean boss? That bothersome neighbor? The unsightly homeless guy you see every day on the way to work? The truth is, we all have someone in our lives who we despise just enough that, if given the opportunity, would never consider sharing the good news of Jesus with. Ask yourself this, are these people worth the gospel of Jesus? Now, ask yourself if there are any people who you've had run ins with who feel that YOU'RE not worth that very same gospel that you share with others! This question may open more than a few eyes, but I believe that Jesus had a very good reason for sharing this truth on the Mount of Olives that day. See, the people of Jesus' day had the same negative interactions with others that we do today. The bible tells us of how the crippled, homeless and poor were looked down upon by those around them. Were these people worth the good news that Jesus was teaching? He seemed to think so. So much so that he spent a good deal of time ministering and healing those who society didn't feel were worthy. With God, there is no partiality.
Have we become so full of ourselves that we feel that WE are justified in choosing who hears the gospel of Jesus? I seem to recall a few Pharisees in Jesus' day who felt the very same way.
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, saying: "The scribes and the pharisees sit in Moses' seat. Therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on mens shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. they make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi."
Matthew 23: 1-7 NKJV
Ouch! Can you imagine being a pharisee in the crowd on that day? However, Jesus showed the love of his father by offering even these Jewish leaders a chance at the salvation he was offering. This kind of irked the people, I guess they felt they needed some scape goats to kick around. Sound familiar? The truth is, there are plenty of people out there who, for one reason or another, we may feel don't deserve hearing about Jesus. Thankfully, that's not our decision. If it were, there would be far fewer people among us who have heard about Jesus I'm sure. What if that person who first told us about Jesus had deemed us unfit to hear it? We do well to remember that God placed you on that persons heart in order that you would hear the good news of his son. That's how God works. Somehow, some way, people are going to hear about Jesus. If it's not from the scripture, then it will be from those who already know him. Are we willing to shoulder that burden of not sharing Jesus with someone who needs it? I may be limited in my social interactions with people, but the LAST thing I want Jesus to question me about on that day is "Why didn't you share me with them when you had the chance?" We live in a sinful world, and there are more unsaved people among us than there are followers of Jesus. Our prayer should be for God to lead us to those who need to hear about him. He'll give us the words to say when that time comes, that's what he does.
~Scott~
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