Accepted at Your Worst
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”
Matthew 21:31
Who does Jesus accept?
If you know your Bible, you might say anyone who comes to Him in faith. Or perhaps you might say tax-collectors and prostitutes (or the equivalent outcasts today). Or maybe you say those who are broken or those who become like children.
Yet, let me ask you this: what does your life suggest about who Jesus accepts? Rather than the answers you know from Bible study or Sunday School, if people took a sneak peek at your life, what impression would they get about who Jesus accepts? I don’t know what the answer would be for you, but looking at my own life, it might suggest Jesus accepts only those who get things done and can strategize, those who know the right answers or those who can get their Daily Words submitted on time(!).
Jesus spent a lot of time with people whose sin was obvious to all around, people who were shamed, scorned and considered “less-than.” Jesus accepted them. They were drawn to Him. Their sin was front and center in their lives, and yet, it didn’t put Jesus off. He didn’t walk away because they were godless, unclean or undeserving.
The challenge for many of us who’ve been Christians a long time is that our sin is not so obvious—and we like that! We think the task of holiness is one of suppression of our sinful desires. We push it down, bury it and experience occasional bouts of shame when we’re not strong enough to keep it at bay. Sometimes it’s become our habit for so long, we don’t even see it.
Yet, what if your life could become a story of Jesus’ love and acceptance of you in your sin? What if you could come to know Jesus' kindness when you start facing your inner tax-collector or prostitute? What if you could know freedom from your bouts with shame because you’ve come to know Jesus’ compassion, even in the face of all your sin?
This is the very reason Jesus came. This is why Jesus was crucified: to free us from shame, to accept us at our absolute worst. So you can stop pretending and hiding. I can too. Jesus has done it, so all that’s left is to receive it.
“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”
Hebrews 7:25
