Elephant in the Room — The Dysfunction in Our Churches - Wednesday
Today’s Verse
Matthew 8:5-7
When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” (ESV)
I was recently trying to book a flight, but the airline’s website kept crashing every time I attempted to finalize the transaction. I was repeatedly forced to start the process all over again from the beginning. And there was added pressure because the flights I wanted were limited and going fast. It was so frustrating! I eventually tried using the website’s “friendly” automated messaging system to get help. The AI clearly had no idea what to do, instead offering multiple suggestions to fix problems I didn’t have. So I decided to do the unthinkable: I actually tried calling the airline’s reservation number! There was an immediate message warning that call volumes were higher than usual. Aren’t they always? So I waited fifteen minutes before giving up. Knowing I had about a 30-minute commute ahead, I decided to try calling again while I drove. I listened to the same horrible hold music over and over. Just as I arrived at my destination 28 minutes later, a live voice finally answered, and the airline representative was able to resolve my issues within minutes. I was so thankful for a response that was both human and helpful!
I’m grateful that Jesus offers something that is in short supply today: He’s responsive. We know that’s true because of the many interactions we see Him having in Scripture. He was always looking for ways He could step into the often messy lives of hurting and broken people with a heart to make them better. If there was a need, He’d meet it. He responded to people, and people responded to Him. As Jon Weece said Sunday, “He runs towards us, not away from us.” So whether it was compassionately healing the sick or confronting lies with the Truth, He responded exactly as needed in the moment. But there’s one response of Jesus that eclipses all others. It was His response to sin and death on the cross. When God promised never to leave us or abandon us (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5), this is what He had in mind. God would never leave us to falter under sin’s curse because Jesus was obedient to the will of His Father.
APPLICATION
As we are responsive to Jesus’ offer of salvation, we are then obligated to be responsive to the world around us, to offer the world what has been given to us. How will you respond today?
PRAYER
Father, out of a desire to love others the way You have loved us, may we respond to the lost and broken around us the way Jesus did, and truly become the church You intended.
