To be fully HUMAN — A Daily Reflection

 

 

" Nazareth ! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
"Come and see," said Philip.

 

Nathanael was apparently a righteous man, one who followed his religion faithfully.  And yet, he had his prejudices.  When Philip told him about Jesus, he said, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth ?"  Nazareth was not the best place to be from, sort of the Israelite version of the bad side of town.  It’s doubtful if Nathanael had ever even been there.  As an upstanding citizen, he would not want to frequent a place that had a bad reputation.

 

How many times do we have the same attitude?  When you hear about the former motorcycle gang members who are witnessing for Jesus, what do you think?  Okay, you think that’s great, right?  So would you invite them to your home?  Pigtail, tattoos, body piercings, chopper and all?  What about people of other races?  Do you believe they can be strong witnesses for our Lord?  Do you make an effort to get to know them, on a one-to-one basis?  How many people of different races can you actually count as friends?  What about street people?  Or the ones who show up at your church that don’t conform to your accepted "dress code"?  What if your church says women must wear skirts, but several women show up one Sunday with slacks on?  How about the physically and mentally disabled?  Have you ever spent any time with someone whose only means of transportation is a wheel chair?  Have you looked around your church and tried to fix those things that make attending your church impossible for people in wheelchairs?  Sometime, try spending few hours exploring your church facility in a wheel chair, so you can see how accessible your church really is to those who are confined to one.  Start in the parking lot and try going to every area of your church building.  You’ll have a real eye-opening experience, most likely.  And how much time do you spend witnessing and ministering to people who are "not your kind"?  How much are your prejudices clouding your judgment – just as Nathanael’s judgment was clouded?

 

When scripture says that "God so loved the world", it did not limit that love to the "right" neighborhood.  Perhaps that’s why Jesus came out of one of the worst neighborhoods around, and then spent all his time with tax collectors and prostitutes… to illustrate to us that we are to love and minister to EVERYONE, no matter their background, race, education, income, physical and mental capabilities, or address.  He wanted each of us - that’s you and me - to see those around us with His eyes, and then treat them accordingly.

 

For God does not show favoritism.  Romans 2:11 NIV