Stop Guarding the Table

A devotional for Wednesday

“Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in religious law, ‘Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?’ When they refused to answer, Jesus touched the sick man and healed him and sent him away.”
Luke 14:3-4 (NLT)

The religious leaders knew the rules. They cared deeply about honoring God and protecting what they believed was holy. Yet somewhere along the way, protecting their rules became more important than seeing the hurting person sitting right in front of them. Jesus exposed the problem. They had become so concerned with guarding the table that they missed the person at it. Churches can fall into the same trap. We can become experts at deciding what church should look like, who should fit comfortably within it, and how everything should happen. Meanwhile, Jesus keeps drawing our attention back to people. The hurting person. The lonely teenager. The difficult neighbor. The person whose life doesn't fit neatly into our expectations. Following Jesus means remembering that the table belongs to Him, not us. We aren't called to be its bouncers. We're called to become people who help others experience the grace of the Host.

Question/Challenge: 
Is there a person in front of you whom your preferences, assumptions, or expectations have made difficult to truly see?