Even Sinners Do That...

Sometimes the words of Jesus give me the utmost of assurance... the "I will be with you always" and "all these things will be given to you" or "seek and you will find" -- and other words that encourage me. However, He also challenged me as well. I'm not sure it gets any more challenging than Luke 6:32-33:


If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that.

Ouch... that hits me hard. It isn't that we don't need time for refuge... because we do. And it isn't that we don't need time for reinforcement of our hold on the the Rock - because we do... but that's not the end of the story. Rescue work takes a special point of view. There are exceptions, I suppose, but someone drowning will probably appreciate being rescued. Good Samaritans pulling people from burning cars are usually appreciated. At least we have a law now where they can't be sued for it... if the need for that law isn't a commentary on society, I don't know what is... but anyway...  We like heroes and visualize ourselves as the heroes.

But there's another kind of Rescue work we are called to do as well. And it's not always well received, but it's important stuff. You see, I like to be with people who like me. I like to interact with people with whom I fit. I like to covertly 'reach out' to people who like me or are like me. But there are times I need to interact with people who don't like me - maybe a lot. Perhaps they think I look funny or out of touch or just don't agree with them. Maybe I need to serve someone who has been cruel to me - or who I know says terrible things about me. Yeah, there's Rescue work to be done!


Children can instruct us on this... there are few catastrophic childhood misalignments that can't be overcome with... "hey... want to play"?  Want to do some Rescue work this week? How about choosing someone who really doesn't like you. After all, Christ did just that for us? Right?  Take Refuge in Christ, Be Reinforced by Christians and go Rescue people... even people you don't like.