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| Overlooking the neighborhood surrounding the Dream Center in Los Angeles, facing my lack of compassion and love for the "people of this kind." |
Jesus went to Levi's house and ate with many other tax collectors and other "disreputable sinners." What follows those words in parentheses in the NLT is what got my attention, "(There were many people of this kind among Jesus' followers.)"
I have spent my entire life trying so hard not to be a disreputable sinner. I have relished the fact that I "am a staff member of a church," (said very piously.) I have judged others who didn't behave as I thought a good Christian should. I took pride in my religious status. I have felt "above" others like those mentioned in this scripture. Oh, the stench of my self righteousness!
I think Jesus has a special place in his heart for disreputable sinners. I need to allow Him to give me the same heart. God has used loved ones in my life to help me see this utter stench of my self-righteous attitude. But I'm still not sure how someone like me can reach them. I'm not sure of my next step in this.
So I press in to Jesus--I press in to this special place in his heart for "disreputable sinners," and ask Him to make my heart more like his.
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I would love to hear from you! Let me know what you think and how I can pray for you. Most of us are carrying some pretty heavy baggage and the good news is, you don't have to carry it alone! You can lay it at the feet of Jesus, and sometimes we need help just letting go of our baggage and not picking it up again. We're in this together!