There is a story our world tells us every single day. We hear it so often we don't even notice it anymore. It says, "There isn't enough." Not enough money. Not enough jobs. Not enough housing. Not enough opportunity. Eventually that story moves inside us until we begin believing we aren't enough either. But Isaiah and Jesus tell a different story. When we've counted the loaves, done the math, and decided how the story ends, Jesus simply says, "Bring it here... to me."
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Jesus is not sitting with sinners because our sins are harmless. He is sitting there because we need the mercy and healing of God. We can make promises. We can explain ourselves. We can hide it. We can dress it up. We can promise to do better. But we can no more fix ourselves than the bleeding woman could. There are places in our hearts that need more than improvement. They need the healing mercy of God in Christ Jesus—our Great Physician. Because Jesus does not come only for Matthew. Jesus comes for every place in us that is sick and tired and ashamed and afraid. He comes for the part of us that has done wrong. He comes for the part of us that has been wronged. He comes for the part of us that wants mercy. He comes for the part of us that refuses mercy. He comes and sits at the table beside us. And that changes everything.”
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“In a world that moves quickly… discards quickly… forgets quickly… leaves quickly… the followers of Jesus remain. We stay. We sit beside hospital beds. We keep showing up with casseroles. We keep making phone calls. We mentor other people’s children. We forgive one another. We show up at funerals because nobody should grieve alone. We pray when words come hard. We keep loving even after disappointment. Because Christ has abided with us.”
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