THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 11:37-44
“A Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table.” (Luke 11:37)
What happens when we invite Jesus into our life?
We invite Him to see the inside of our heart — the nice and not so nice.
And because Jesus cares, He speaks the truth in love, even if it hurts.
This Pharisee critiqued Jesus for His ‘unholy’ behaviour (skipping ritual cleansing).
Jesus returns the favour, and exposes the hypocrisy and hollowness of his holiness.
— looking fine on the outside, but greedy and wicked on the inside
— more concerned about religious rightness than compassion for those in need
— majoring in minors, but ignoring justice and the love of God
— more concerned about what people think, than in what God thinks
When we invite Jesus into our lives, we are inviting His love and truth.
If I’m in a relationship with Jesus but not experiencing His gentle rebuke, something is wrong.
Jesus accepts me just as I am, but He loves me too much to leave me that way.
He wants to set me free, to give me life to the full, to be all that God made me to be.
But you may wonder how Jesus can speak to us this way, when He is not physically with us?
For me, I hear Him speak through passages like this, as I meditate on what they say.
Through this passage, Jesus challenges me to look at my ‘religion’, to look in to my heart.
As I hear Jesus speak to this Pharisee, I hear His Spirit whisper, ‘what about you?’
My sins may not be exactly the same, but in some ways I can see similarities.
I have invited Jesus into my life SO THAT He can expose my follies and set me free.
What about you?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, Your words cut to the heart, but like a surgeon’s scalpel it is good. Show me where I am focusing on the outside, or on minor issues, or on what people think — while ignoring the things that really matter!