Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Let’s expose religious excuses.

Today’s scripture, Acts of the Apostles 11:4-12 (NLT) shares…
[4] Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. [5] “I was in the town of Joppa,” he said, “and while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me. [6] When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of tame and wild animals, reptiles, and birds. [7] And I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.’ [8] “‘No, Lord,’ I replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean.’ [9] “But the voice from heaven spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.’ [10] This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven. [11] “Just then three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying. [12] The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry that they were Gentiles. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon entered the home of the man who had sent for us.

Consider…
It is my belief that many people use religion to justify bigotry. The excuse of righteous indignation is really just religious intolerance, which is contrary to God’s expectations expressed in Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)…
[2] Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

Indeed exclusivity attitudes are contrary to God’s nature and considered sin by Him. That’s why James 2:9 (NLT) admonishes…
[9] But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

And Romans 2:11 (NLT) affirms God’s nature…
[11] For God does not show favoritism.

If the Heavenly Father doesn’t show favoritism, why do His children?

In fact, Jesus said in Matthew 5:44-45 (NLT)…
[44] But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! [45] In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

Clearly there’s no justification in God’s Kingdom to treat people differently, even if they believe differently than us.

Yet, some Christian’s today haven’t learned from Mark 2:15-17 (NLT)…
[15] Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) [16] But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” [17] When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Look at the facts of this passage…

• Jesus attended a dinner party with disreputable sinners.
• Religious leaders judged JESUS!
• Jesus exposed the self-righteous religious fanatics

Jesus attending a dinner party with the religiously disregarded reminds me of an experience my wife had. There was a deaf coffee chat that was held in a church with fellow students and staff in her ASL studies. One of the students refused to attend because she identified herself as transgender and said she experienced judgement from religious people that made her unwilling to step foot in a church. My beautiful wife offered and met with this person who was made in God’s image at a place of the individual’s choosing. I admit I am biased, but that looks a lot like Jesus kneeling down and talking to the woman caught in adultery while He wrote in the dirt causing all of the religious accusers to leave.

My wife’s care less attitude about what others think, and caring heart to make the discarded feel regarded, is one of her most endearing Christ-like qualities to me.

Sharing that story made me drill into a transformational moment that happened at the beginning of the woman at the well encounter with Jesus. John 4:7-9 (NLT)…
[7] Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” [8] He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. [9] The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

This makes me think of people who say, you’re a Christian why are you interacting with me? I pray that the people who claim to be Christians but treat others in unloving ways don’t cause those individuals to write-off the church completely like my wife’s new friend.

Rather than telling people where they can’t be, let’s work on meeting them where they are.

Also, I would point out to those self-proclaimed Christian’s who show partiality that Jesus died a criminal’s death to make God’s enemies friends. Romans 5:10-11 (NLT) explains…
[10] For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. [11] So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

So if you’re ever tempted to separate yourself from sinners, remember that Jesus…

• Came to them
• Ate with them
• Died for them

…and Jesus is the Holy and Righteous standard!

Let’s lose our religious excuses and focus on being a little more like Jesus.

Today’s song is…
Less Like Me

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)