to seek & to save

A gathering of religious leaders grumbled, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15.1-2) To clarify his mission and his intentions, Jesus told them a story about a woman who ripped her house apart looking for a lost coin.  And this, my friends, is the essence of the incarnation. Jesus even said it himself, “I have come to seek and save that which is lost!”

The incarnation, that moment that the God of the Universe put on skin and bone and as Peterson paraphrased it, “God moved into the neighborhood.” He walks into the mess of broken, messy, and ripped apart humanity, begins to sift through it and among it until he finds what he is looking for: broken people desperately needing to be found, rescued, and made new.

In the face of utterly broken people, how do you respond? When in the presence of sin, what do you do? Do you shy away or enter in? Do you feel great compassion or an opportunity for condemnation? Do you judge their actions or remind them of the limitless, unearned grace of God? Do you advise them to get their life together or do you come along side of them and walk with them through the darkest moments of their life?  One thing I have realized is if you are going to seek and save people who are lost, you are going to have to be ok being around the fruits produced by sin. I promise you sinners will always do the things that sinners do. You do. I do. If you are offended by sin, then you are going to have a hard time incarnationally entering into the world of broken, lost, and hurting humanity.

Years ago, I remember bumping into a mom who, with good intentions, approached me. “Hi, Eric, I wanted to share some concerns with you. You know I love Young Life. I was even involved when I was in high school. The reason my son hasn’t been coming is because of the decision me and my husband made. We are not sure it’s the best environment for my son. I’m not sure you are aware, but some of the kids who are coming drink alcohol regularly. My son tells me some of the things that go on and what these kids are doing during the weekends with all the partying. I know Young Life is a Christian ministry, I just wanted to make sure you knew these are the kind of kids that come to Young Life. I just don’t want Young Life to get a bad reputation.”

I listened politely. I wasn’t sure how to best respond, so I didn’t say much. “I appreciate your advice. Thanks for letting me know.” And that was it. As I walked away, I smiled and felt great joy and thankfulness. I prayed and thanked God that he was allowing us to reach lost kids. I remember thinking, “It’s working. We are doing what we are called to do. We are doing what Jesus came to do: to seek and to save those who are lost.”