Holy Week - “A Welcoming Heart”
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17
Take a moment to read Mark 2:17 one more time, and as you do consider the incredible heart of Jesus expressed in this verse. Then before you move on, ask God to help you see more of Christ’s heart today!
Insight
As we begin our journey through Holy Week exploring the heart of Jesus, we lead off with a simple, but profound, message: All are welcome…everyone matters and has value in the Kingdom of God. Throughout His ministry, Jesus demonstrated a compassionate nature that welcomed people from all walks of life. He spent time with the outcasts, the marginalized, and the rejected members of society, showing them love and respect. He ate with sinners, healed the sick, and spoke against injustice.
His actions and teachings serve as a model for welcoming others with open arms, regardless of their background or status. Rather than erecting larger walls to keep people out, we're called to build bigger tables and ensure everyone has a seat.
We catch a glimpse of the welcoming heart of Jesus by what He does first after entering Jerusalem on a donkey on what is commonly referred to as Palm Sunday. Jesus heads directly to the temple where people of all races and nations had come to celebrate Passover. What He witnesses breaks His heart.
Rather than a place of prayer, Jesus steps into what He describes as a "den of thieves" - a marketplace consuming a house of worship. In every corner of this chaotic mess, merchants took advantage of the flocks of helpless people who came from near and far to make offerings. Lines and lines of impatient people pressed at tables to get the best deals, with the marked-up prices costing the poor and oppressed an opportunity to worship.
Deeply troubled by what transpired, Jesus starts flipping over tables and clearing the temple. He was unwilling to let anything come between people and their relationship with God. By driving out the merchants, He removed anything that stood in the way of people coming to the temple to worship. Jesus wanted everyone to have access to the love and grace of God. So, after cleansing the temple, Jesus began to heal the blind and the lame, showing His love and concern for those often marginalized in society.
And Jesus didn't stop there, on the cross, Jesus demonstrated His love for us with the ultimate display of tearing down the dividing wall between humanity and God.
This message is as relevant today as it was in Jesus' time. As we seek to follow in His footsteps, we must strive to remove anything that might be getting in the way of our relationship with God. We can start by taking a moment to examine our hearts and identify anything that might be hindering our spiritual growth. Is there something that is taking up too much of our time or focus? Is there an area of our life where we need to ask for forgiveness and turn away from sin?
And after we do this, we turn our attention outward to those around us. We must also be mindful of anything hindering others from coming to know Jesus. Are we creating an environment where people feel welcome and accepted? Are we extending the love and grace of God to everyone we encounter, regardless of their background or circumstances?
The heart of God is that everyone is welcome. By clearing the temple, Jesus invites us to come just as we are to worship.
Reflection
What emotions stir within you when you consider that Christ wants unhindered access to Your heart?
What things clutter and consume your heart that distract you from Christ?
Prayer
God, my heart is often cluttered with everything but You - worries and concerns, selfish motives and hidden shame, worldly pursuits and crippling doubt. May I make room for Your presence in these places. Clear out everything that distracts me from my pursuit of Your heart. Let the way I live my life be an inviting presence for others to experience the freedom and forgiveness only You provide, In Your name, Jesus. Amen.