04/04/2019
In this current sermon series, I have shared the stories of two “undesirables”--the woman with an issue of bleeding and the prostitute who “wasted” an entire jar of perfume by pouring it on Jesus. As we read through Scripture, there are so many “undesirables”--the ten with leprosy, the tax collectors, the woman at the well, the Samaritan…
What does Jesus do consistently in all of these situations?
1. He did not reject or avoid them...he walked through Samaria and not around Samaria; he accepted an invitation from Zacchaeus to his home to dine…
2. He was fully aware of their sinfulness...”He told me everything I have ever done.”
3. He did not change his knowledge of what was righteous to accommodate others.
“Go and sin no more.”
4. Even though he was confronting the sinner about their sin, they did not feel
rejected by Jesus. Instead they felt very loved and accepted.
As the calendar tells us that we are moving closer to the events of Holy Week when Jesus would enter Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, we will experience the final week of the earthly life of Jesus. It is a painful week as we share Holy Thursday and Good Friday focusing on Jesus whose body was broken entirely for us. His brokenness again speaks to us of His love for us.
The brokenness that Jesus experienced as He gave his body and His blood was for us to know the kind of relationship and forgiveness we may have with Jesus. We are called to share this kind of love with others. Remember, Jesus rejected none no matter who they were or what they did. Jesus was always bold about teaching the truth with a heart of love for the person. And when persons encountered Jesus, they knew they were loved.
No one is undesirable in the eyes of Jesus. All are loved.
P.S. Never forget the Good News that followed the journey of Holy Week. We get to celebrate Easter as Jesus is resurrected from the dead and lives forever!
Pastor Patti
Archived Posts
What just missed the cut for Sunday’s Sermon
Naaman’s servants may actually become one of the hidden gems of the sermon. They say, essentially: “If the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it.”
One of the Longest Benedictions I Ran Out of Time to Share
Maybe you know the story of how Joseph and Mary accidentally left Jesus at the gas station on their way home from Jerusalem. Well, not the gas station bathroom in Jesus’ case. Joe and Mary are far down the road before they realize Jesus isn’t with them...
So many quips and quotes...
So little time to preach
I wonder what Mary and Martha’s phones might look like:
* Martha = the open browser with 27 tabs
* Mary = the single window that matters
* Psalm 46 = God saying, “Close the tabs.”
Quotable Outtakes That Didn’t Make the Sermon This Week
“When you try to control everything, you don’t just exhaust yourself—you quietly replace trust in God with trust in you.” & more
There is a challenge when it comes to preaching the Word of God.
Preachers are called to open up and interpret the word—inspired and written down thousands of years ago—and make it relevant to a very different world. On top of that there’s a degree of persuasion that goes along with the process.
What Jessica Really Meant to Say in Her Sermon…
When Jessica or Rick or a guest preacher takes the pulpit it’s hard for me to write a One More Thing Blog. I can’t share with you what didn’t make it into the sermon because I have no idea, not having written or delivered it.
Jesus Keeps On Ruining Funerals!
I didn’t have anything this last week that didn’t end up in the sermon. No catchy illustrations that didn’t make the cut. No theological insights that slowed down the main point. No one can ruin a funeral like Jesus. Told as I saw it and that was it. So I did some quick research and I thought I’d share just a reminder of what Easter is all about.