OUR REFLECTION
August 21, 2024
Celtic Prayer
Romans 15:7
“Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you”
There we have it. All this "one another-ing" should mirror the way Christ accepted us. It is God"s desire that we embrace others with the deepest and most complete sense of acceptance. This includes accepting them with love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness, just as Christ has accepted us.
Let's consider today how it is that Christ accepts you and me.
First, Jesus accepted you with joy. Luke 15:3, “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” (Luke 15:3-7). We are to accept others just like Christ accepted us, with rejoicing.
Secondly, Jesus embraced us despite our sins. His love was unwavering even when we were rebellious. His affection remained while we were disobedient. His care persisted even as we ignored Him. Romans 5:8 puts it this way, “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners”. Acceptance!!
1 Timothy 1:15 puts it this way, “This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ – and I am the worst of them all” . Jesus accepted us, that my friends is GRACE.
Third, Jesus accepted you impartially. Put another way, there was no favoritism here. God didn’t say, “If you start acting like so and so I will accept you.” Listen carefully to what Jesus said in John 6:37 to a crowd of people, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink!”. Jesus is talking about salvation, but notice the word “anyone.” Impartial.
In Romans 2:11 we read, “For God does not show favoritism”. That’s being impartial. No favoritism. God accepted you, accepted me, and anyone who comes to Him. Thats Good News isn't it?
Fourthly, think about this. Jesus welcomed you and me for the glory of God. In accepting others in Christ's name, we bring glory to God. Just as Christ's acceptance of us honored and glorified God, our acceptance of others does the same.
Look at this from Ephesians 3:20, “God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!” (v.20-21, Msg). Notice that the presence of the Spirit within us signifies God's acceptance, and this leads to glory. Similarly, when we embrace others as Christ did us, we honor God.
Here is the message for us today. I believe we hear that our initial instinct should be to welcome and accept people, rather than to dismiss or overlook them. I am not sure about your story, but in my story, when Jesus accepted me… I sure didn’t have everything figured out, I didn’t understand a lot of things in the Bible, I did not know God’s purposes and plans about a lot of things. Truth is when Jesus accepted me, He received me and my sins. He received me and all the mess that came with me. Does that resonate with your experience?
So, we are instructed to "accept one another, just as Christ accepted us." This principle, found in Romans 15:7, encourages unity and acceptance among the people in our lives, and this welcome reflects the acceptance Christ has shown.
LET US PRAY
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me so love … where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Amen.
Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi
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