over the walls

God doesn't believe in boxes.

God pays no attention to the boxes we create, no-

In fact, he came to abolish these boxes.

Jesus got in trouble for stuff like this a lot, we read about it in the gospels. 

Like, he was hanging out with those people.

The "unbelievers."

The "sinners". 

And the Pharisees were all like, "Come on, what's your deal? These people aren't Christians. They're not spiritual. They're outsiders."

And Jesus? 

He essentially proceeds to blow all their labels to pieces- declaring that "he came for them".

For the broken.

The busted.

The "Outsiders".

Jesus never labeled them anything other than his beloved. The ones whom he came to rescue and redeem.

He didn't stab an accusing finger at them and scream "Sinner!" or "Unsaved!" or "Outsider!"

No.

Jesus never did this.

And if Jesus- who is the pure, unabridged expression and person of God -didn't label people like this?

If Jesus didn't point out "sinners",

and didn't call people "outsiders", 

What on earth makes us think that we should?

What makes us think that we should judge?

When Jesus explicitly tells us, in John's brilliant book, that he came for the whole world-

the whole world, as in,

me,

you,

the drunk on the street,

your pastor,

the messed up kid in rehab,

your youth group leader,

the criminal on death row-

that kind of whole world.

Literally everyone.

In fact, later on, in the book of Acts, Peter gets this revelation- when God speaks to him, saying "Don't call unclean, what I have made clean."

This wasn't just about animals. This, for Peter, had deep, infinite meaning, 

and this is why he declares to Cornelius the next day, when he falls at Peter's feet, that "I am but a man also." aka, "We're equals."

There was no 'holier than thou' or 'in > out' crowd scenario.

No, Peter boldly declares that God is no respecter of persons.

That he loves us all. Has cleansed us all.

God wanted Peter to know that he wasn't okay with some of his children being called "sinners" and "outsiders".

Jesus died on the cross with and for us all- not just some. 

Jesus wasn't okay with the labels Peter had started to allow to slip into his thinking.
He wasn't okay with it then,

and he's not okay with it now.

Jesus sees everyone through love. And God's desire is for us to see things from his point of view.

Because our identity is in him.

And in him? There are no boxes.

No labels.

No dividers.

In this brilliant book called Genesis, it's written that Joseph- a type of Christ -is " a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall"

Jesus told us that he is the vine.

He is the fruitful vine that runs- unstoppable -over all of our walls- reaching and entangling absolutely everyone.

He never built the walls.

We built the walls.

But Jesus doesn't even pay attention to them.

He goes over them.

And he invites us to join him.

..Just a few thoughts.

Desensitized

“…Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit…”

　

　
…Did you ever get that “I’m missing something” feeling?

Like when you misplace a pen and search around for it for ten minutes only to find that it was right behind your ear the whole time?

I get that feeling. A lot.

Especially when I’m reading scripture, and especially when I’m reading scriptures like the one above;

…It’s like I’m missing something that’s before my very eyes. Literally.

I know what you’re thinking; Every Christian knows the story of the Cross: Jesus came to Earth, Lived, died and saved us from our sins. End of story.

I’ve heard it told like that countless times.

But I believe the Cross is far more than that;

Because the Cross isn’t a pass-tense noun,

It’s a present-tense verb.

It’s an action. It’s a radical act of love beyond human comprehension.

And that’s what this blog is all about; We’re studying the cross for the verb that it is; ever present in our lives and in all that we do.

We hear sermons about the Cross on good Friday and Easter, we read it in the scripture, we sing songs about it, we even wear it around our necks.

It’s safe to say, we’ve become desensitized.

I’ve noticed it in myself, as I read the last chapters of John; I know the verses so well and I remember exactly what happens from Gethsemane right through to the Resurrection.

…That’s what scares me.

Because when we read the text for the stereotype image of the cross, we are seriously missing it.

Because throughout the gospels, we see that Jesus is totally dynamic; every word He speaks has interminable

meaning, oceans of wisdom flowing from His every action, from His every thought.

And it doesn’t stop at the cross.

So this blog is all about sensitizing ourselves to the Cross and looking at it from a totally different, fresh perspective.

Because this is a love story of terrible beauty.

In fact,

It’s the story of us.