After announcing his mission to the poor and oppressed, Jesus sets out for a teaching tour around Galilee. He begins calling disciples: Simon Peter, James and John, who are fishermen, as well as Levi, a tax collector. Jesus begins to ruffle the feathers of Pharisees by announcing the forgiveness of sins (which was understood to only be available through temple sacrifice) and by eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners (which, in that culture, was seen as an endorsement for their behavior). Jesus explains, "Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
In my head, I know exactly what Jesus is saying: why would we wait until we are perfectly whole and healthy to see a doctor? In the same way, why would we try to fix any big problems in our lives or make ourselves "presentable" before connecting with a Christian community in some way? But in my heart, taking that leap of faith, and trying to fit in with a new community, is way harder than it looks.
Sadly, too often it's not because we don't think Jesus will accept us as we truly are. Nope. It's the Christian communities themselves that may give us second thoughts.
Every church I've ever attended has thought of themselves as "welcoming." It's natural, if you have already found a place where you fit in, where you have friends who care about you and want to know how you're doing, to have blind spots and not recognize why it might be hard for newcomers to break in.
There are no "perfect people." We are all sinners--we just sin differently. So if Jesus really wants to heal all kinds of sinners, not just those who sin the way we do, then how are we proactively welcoming strangers into our communities? Does our Communion table look like Jesus' dinner table? If not, why not?
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