34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:34-40)
Recently I heard the legendary Chuck Colson talk about his faith right before he passed away. Colson, you might know, went to prison under the Watergate scandal and became a national villain. It was during this prison term however that he learned of the gospel which would lead him to start one of the most far reaching prison ministries ever created. In his final days he spoke at a pastors convention and so rightly noted that Jesus was attractive to prostitutes, criminals, and the “least of these”. During the time of Christ, the religious leaders were anything but attractive. There was a dangerous disconnect between the person of God and the people of God that was filled in when human Jesus walked the earth.
Because of all of this, if the Church is not attracting the least then it is not by definition the Church. Sadly, our churches are the most segregated places in America. They are segmented racially, socially, and probably worst of all, morally. The Church limits the power of Christ when it is one-dimensional. We need to be attractive to all people in all segments because Jesus transcends our categories. For too many years we have yoked attractiveness with physical improvements – fresh paint, cool coffee, hip teaching. The only thing needed to make a church attractive is the manifest presence of a living God. His grace never grows out of style because it is the one thing that unites the mess of men together.
How well are we attracting people that don’t look or act like us? It is not merely about having a few token outsiders, but recognizing our own prodigal nature and the power of Christ that unifies all people. I fear that now more than ever, the loudest voices are the ones who are also the most divisive and exclusive. May we trump this false ideology as believers in a risen God. May we have the courage to embrace the least as we show them the greatest. May our Church have no color, status, or boundaries. Our Lord prefers the outcast, may we embrace this.
Lord, thank you for your colorless grace that transcends status. May our Church be the most attractive place in the world because it is where you reside. Purify inside our walls and may we reach outward to your people.
Matt simon blog 