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What's good for the goose (5)
'Look at the birds in the sky!' Matthew 6:26
Imagine it - you're a well-primed, muscular bird. You've braved near-arctic blizzards, you've battled through cramp in your wings, you've done your brave stint as the wind-breaker at the front of the formation. The team are just starting to look like a well-oiled machine when suddenly a bunch of dirty, bedraggled and ill-fed birds join your crew.
Surely you'd be entitled to chase them out of your squad of high-fliers: after all, they're only going to be a drain on you; they'll slow down the team and eat their way through your food. But geese don't have that mindset: even if it means altering plans and rescheduling arrival times, all are welcome, all are given full family status.
Jesus has the same ideas about church: 'All ... who are weary and carry heavy burdens' are accepted (Matt. 11:28 NLT). 'I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also ... there shall be one flock and one shepherd' (John 10:16 NIV). High on Jesus' agenda is to save and sign up starving, scruffy little sheep like us.
He scrubs us up, feeds us up and straightens us up. He welcomes us to the family despite all our faults. And He expects us to welcome other bedraggled sinners as well. Listen: 'With both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love' (Eph. 3:17 TM).
written by Bob Gass
'Look at the birds in the sky!' Matthew 6:26
Imagine it - you're a well-primed, muscular bird. You've braved near-arctic blizzards, you've battled through cramp in your wings, you've done your brave stint as the wind-breaker at the front of the formation. The team are just starting to look like a well-oiled machine when suddenly a bunch of dirty, bedraggled and ill-fed birds join your crew.
Surely you'd be entitled to chase them out of your squad of high-fliers: after all, they're only going to be a drain on you; they'll slow down the team and eat their way through your food. But geese don't have that mindset: even if it means altering plans and rescheduling arrival times, all are welcome, all are given full family status.
Jesus has the same ideas about church: 'All ... who are weary and carry heavy burdens' are accepted (Matt. 11:28 NLT). 'I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also ... there shall be one flock and one shepherd' (John 10:16 NIV). High on Jesus' agenda is to save and sign up starving, scruffy little sheep like us.
He scrubs us up, feeds us up and straightens us up. He welcomes us to the family despite all our faults. And He expects us to welcome other bedraggled sinners as well. Listen: 'With both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love' (Eph. 3:17 TM).
written by Bob Gass
