Jesus Didn't Wait!

Matthew 4:23-24 ESV

“And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.” 

Jesus didn't wait. He didn't wait for people to convert. He didn't wait for people to follow Him. He didn't even wait for people to agree with Him. He just did good to people! He healed everyone that came to Him. He helped people everywhere He went, meeting them where they were and showing them the love of the Father. 

Dear Christian, do you give your love sparingly? Do you give your love selectively? Perhaps you show love to other Christians. Perhaps you serve those who look like you, talk like you, and act like you. But what about those who are different? What about the Mormon? The Hindu? The Muslim? The pro-choicer? The LGBT activist? The BLM activist? The atheist? Where does your love stop? 

I'm not telling you to avoid speaking the truth. After all, as Jesus was doing His good deeds, He was teaching in homes, synagogues, boats, and mountains. All the while, He was proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Jesus wasn't afraid to give people the hard truth, but He didn't relegate His love to merely sharing His thoughts. He loved people practically and visibly. He put skin in the game. He was willing to look bad in order to help people. He was willing to be misunderstood, attacked, and hated for doing good to those in need. He helped people who couldn't return the favor. He touched lepers. He honored women. He crossed racial boundaries and did good to those who looked different from Him. He even healed someone who came with a group to arrest Him. 

The love of Christ is fierce, courageous, sincere, wholehearted, and visible! It wasn't a question of if He was doing Kingdom work. It was a question of how, where, and when. And so my challenge for you, if you call yourself a Christian, is to put some skin in the game. Preach the gospel, but also show the love of Christ tangibly, whether they accept you or not. Jesus didn't wait. So what are you waiting for?

Photo by Mika Brandt on Unsplash