Day 12
Jesus’
Method: crossing barriers
Read: Luke
5:12-15; 10:25-37
These passages hold to a common
theme. To reach people, barriers must be crossed. In healing the leper Jesus
crossed a strong social barrier. Lepers were cast out from society and not to
be touched for fear of catching the disease.
In the parable, the hero of the story crosses a strong ethnic barrier to meet the needs of the wounded
man. (Jews and Samaritans hated each
other and would not associate with each other).
Jesus’
method of ministry continually crossed the social and cultural barriers of his
day. He related to women with great
dignity and respect, breaking the view of the day that women were chattels to
be seen but not heard from. He touched
and healed lepers. He spent time with
children. He mixed with tax
collectors. He related to poor and
rich.
Jesus
sees all people as equals, worthy of love and attention; after all, they are
created in the Divine image. He abhorred
the hierarchal system he saw around him and often going out of his way to break
it down.
It’s
quite easy for a church to largely consist of a main ethnicity or social
economic grouping; afterall, we reach those who are nearest to ourselves. The
call of Jesus is to move beyond comfort zones, to reach beyond barriers, and to
connect with and disciple those within different social, educational or ethnic
backgrounds. Jesus modelled missional barrier crossing. That is the model to follow.
Ponder Point (reflect)
- With
Jesus, love crosses barriers and builds bridges
Consider (respond)
- What
personal resources do I have to reach people unlike me?
Ponder focus:
ReplyDelete“Through walking more and more in Jesus’ love, I will build less and less barriers.”