A few weeks back, one of our pastors gave this great sermon. She started by asking the congregation to play that game whereby you invite three people, living or dead, to a dinner party. We were to share our picks with people sitting near us.
The pastor then said that most of us church folks probably had Jesus on the list, and the congregation murmured in agreement. But do we REALLY want Jesus at our soiree? Because He could be quite annoying.
Look at some examples: one woman, Martha, puts on a nice meal, yet Jesus sides with lazy Mary who is just hanging out listening to Him. At a fancy gala, Jesus allowed “that woman” to wash his feet – with her hair? He ate with sinners, including those tax collectors, who were ALWAYS ripping off people. Not to mention his last dinner where, by the end of the night, he had been denied, betrayed, and taken off to prison.
I saw this story – don’t know if it’s apocryphal or factual, and it really does not matter – about how church members mistreat a homeless man in church, unaware it is their pastor in disguise. I DO know, having gone to various churches over the years, that the narrative rings true. So does Sharp Little Pencil’s Memo To Shrinking Churches.
So as we await the coming of the cute little baby Jesus, remember that He grows up to be that pain-in-the-neck guy who wants us to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, tend to the sick, and visit the imprisoned. Did I mention He is REALLY IRRITATING?
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Why I Still Go To Church.