Sunday, May 16, 2010

Mark 2:15-17

We see very early in Mark who Jesus targets as His audience. He calls fishermen and tax collectors. He eats with "sinners" and IRS agents. Or in His own words, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

As a minister, I wonder who my target audience should be. Many churches have moved to "seeker services" where they attempt to reach out to the "unchurched." But what then do you do with members who have been inside the walls for decades? How do you deliver meat to a starving portion of the body?

It's interesting that on the Sabbath, Jesus was ALWAYS in the synagogue. For His day job, however, we find Him constantly in homes eating with the outcasts or teaching in the countryside. Ideally, my ministry would look something like this on some degree...and so should yours as a follower of Jesus.

When was the last time you had lunch with someone below the poverty line?
When was the last time you wrote a thank you letter to the IRS? :-)
When was the last time you hung out with "sinners" - in their homes?

Tough litmus test.

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