SEEKING THE HEART OF JESUS: A Heart That Confronts - My Own Heart (a blog post for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church on July 14, 2019)

Jesus came to "seek and save the lost."  Luke 19:10 reminds us that Jesus came to look for and lead the lost to God.  Sometimes the lost looked like "prostitutes and sinner;" other times, they looked like powerful, religious leaders and long-tenured members of the spiritual establishment.  We err when we see the need for Jesus only in the "sinner" as we all fall into that category no matter how neatly we have cleaned up our mess.  

Too often, "they" are sinners, and "we" are blessed and reformed and holy.  We "were" what they are.  We are "beyond" where they are.  We are "clean," and they are "dirty."  We are "God's people," and they are not.  We and they.  I think Jesus had a very different idea of we and they.  

In reality, they are we, and we are they.  We are all in need of God.  We all fall vastly short of what God would have us be.  We all need cleansed.  We are truly no better than they.  The grace of God reaches both we and they with effect.  In fact, they are we, and we are they.

Both need his mercy.  Both need his love.  Both need a savior.