Sandy Harless

 
EXCLUDE-sive Christianity
 
I recently found myself in a conversation that caused my inner spirit to RISE UP. I have a propensity to be drawn to the underdog, and nothing can incite me more than when I sense a lack of mercy & compassion. Dare I judge too harshly? Because the bible clearly says that I will be judged according to how I judge others. (check out these scriptures: Matthew 7:1-2 and Luke 6:37) I am not perfect, and I know I make mistakes, but I feel I must say something. Here goes:
  

• Who do you consider to be “the least of these?”
• Better yet, who do you consider to be lower than the least of these? 
• Who do you consider to be beneath you? 
• Who do you feel is unworthy of hearing the gospel? 
• Who have you deemed beyond hope? 
• Who is steeped too deeply in sin for you to reach out and touch them for fear of getting your hands dirty? (personal safety is another matter)

 
We all have different cultural exposures and our personal guidelines will vary from person to person. But, I would be saddened to believe that, at my lowest point in my life, the individual who fell below your personal scale of acceptance could have been me.
 
Jesus himself did not despise anyone. In Mark 2:17, when asked why he would dine with sinners he responded, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
 
Jesus did not condemn those he came in contact with who were sick in body or living in sin. In His mercy Jesus forgave sin. He healed the sick without taking inventory of a person’s life. He didn’t pre-qualify someone for His time, His love, or His ministry. He was in constant communion with the Father and did what God told him to do. (Read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
 
Here in the book of Matthew in Chapter 25, Jesus tells us that we will be held accountable to how we treat each other.
 
Matthew 25:31-46 (NIV)
The Sheep and the Goats
 
³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
 
³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
 
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
 
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
 
⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
 
⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
 
⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
 
⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
 
Stepping off my soapbox, my point is this: We cannot disqualify any person for the opportunity of salvation, healing, wholeness, hope, forgiveness, restoration, another chance, or God’s mercy. We do not know the beginning and the end. We do not know the calling God has on an individual’s life, and what He will allow them to walk through before they walk into their destiny in Christ. We have not been given the task to be judge, jury and executioner, but instead we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ. We are to walk into the places He would walk and we are to reach out to the people He would reach out to, without exception. We are not the people changers. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. We are the light bearers, and the light is needed most in the dark.
 
Consider this:  The person needing God’s grace to find them could be your very own child during a difficult time in their life that you may be completely unaware of. Would you want your child to be disqualified or would you want someone to see them with God’s eyes?
 
Peace to you all on this journey of ministry and “trying not to miss the mark.” I pray that you will examine your heart and take it to God in prayer. Be in communion with the Father and do what He tells you to do.
 
Blessings,
Sandy