Devotion for 26 June - Relationships

A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily prayers this week. The scripture is from our Sunday Service Bulletin for today.  We are concluding a three sermon series on relationships. The first was about our relationship with God. Last week we talk about how that relationship with God enhances our relationships in our circle of friends and family. Today we will talk about how our relationship with God should help us work with people outside our friendship circle and especially those who do not know the Lord.

GOSPEL READING Matthew 9:9-13 (English Standard Version)

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

Devotion: Christian bubble?

Lots of us surround ourselves with primarily other Christians and it is understandable, after all, it seems Christians are good people to be around. [Maybe it will rub off!!?] Today’s Gospel text is telling us that Jesus wants us to love all, and not just fellow Christians. It is really tough to find a modern day equivalent to how tax collectors were viewed back in the day. A possibility might be someone who takes advantage of others to get rich via a crooked financial scheme, you’ve seen them in the news. Even a “crook” like that deserves God’s love and ours as well. God’s love has a way of changing things toward the good and so can our love and compassion. Jesus is telling us that we need to burst out of that Christian bubble and reach out to those who are non-believers or those that have fallen away.  We have to get over the notion that we are better than non-believers. All of us are sinners, it is just that Christians are forgiven. We need to rejoice in this forgiveness and show the love of Christ to all.

We pray: Lord thank You for our salvation, help us show Your love to all. Amen