Today during church service while our Pastor was giving an incredible message on the beginning words Jesus spoke on the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5 {Probably one of the BEST messages I have ever heard on it.}
The Lord gave me a vision. In this vision was a HUGE wooden table, and at that table were many Christians, and Jesus was seated at the end of the table in all His shining perfect glory, and His body was turned around in the chair with His back facing us, and He had his hand out, and He was smiling, and heard Him say..."come and eat"...as if He was inviting people who were not there. So...I look up, and there were many people heading towards the table, but they kept stumbling over these rocks & bricks on the way, and it caused them great sadness, but even still they kept coming. And then I kept hearing those at the table seated with me chuckling as if they themselves had put the rocks, and bricks in their path sort of like what a kid does who performs a prank on someone. I felt so ashamed in my vision because I caught myself chuckling, and I, myself, realized I had thrown a couple rocks out there inadvertently. These people so desperately wanted to eat, and partake of this meal, and be with Jesus at this table that He had prepared a meal for them on, but they kept stumbling to get there, and our rocks we threw was making it harder for them to get there. This reminded me briefly of Jesus rebuking the Pharisees later on in the book of Matthew for them causing stumbling blocks for people to come into the Kingdom.
I kept praying about what this meant all day...the Lord led me to this song by Casting Crowns. Its so beautifully convicting.
~"Jesus, friend of sinners,
we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name,
but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth's
become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You,
but they're tripping over me
Always looking around, but never looking
up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and
a heart divided
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world
at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and
open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break
our hearts for what breaks yours
You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they're the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But you died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet."~ Casting Crowns
Jesus was called a friend of sinners. He loved them. He ate with them. He healed them. He befriended them. He invited them. He taught them. Yes many stopped following, but many stayed. I think us Christians along the journey who already have a seat at the table, a place in heaven, have forgotten that He is so desperately for them just as He is desperately for us too. We are all created in the image of God. The Imago Dei. We all have value. We are all so valuable He purchased us with His blood. In God's kingdom EVERYONE is invited to the table to feast, but how often us Christians, if we are not walking in the Spirit, and we instead are walking in the flesh, and in the hidden sin of pride we are so prone to of the human heart...we can become more like Pharisees and create stumbling blocks in the Gospel. And have others tripping to get to Jesus. I want to be a conduit, not a stumbling block. The Gospel is already a stumbling block. Why do we have to make it harder?
Lord, let our hearts be led with mercy, grace, and compassion towards the outsider. Open are arms wide to the sinner because you opened Your arms wide for us ALL. Forgive us where we have failed in misrepresenting you to a lost and dying world. ~You died for sinners just like me. A grateful leper at your feet. ~
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