Just Like Matthew

I just started reading a book by Max Lucado yesterday called Next Door Savior: Near Enough to Touch. Strong Enough to Trust. I have only read one book by Lucado before, and it was a children's book. So I kind of got a feel for his writing, but not really. One of the chapters I read in this book, though, was about Matthew. Lucado kind of "modernizes" Matthew...talking about his personality in a way that would make sense in this day and age. For example, Lucado writes, "You can bet he was shunned. The neighborhood cookouts? Never invited. High-school reunions? Somehow his name was left off the list. The guy was avoided like streptococcus A. Everybody kept his distance from Matthew" (21). So there probably weren't cookouts or high-school reunions back in Matthew's day. But you get the idea. Anyway, Lucado goes on to say that we are just like Matthew. He says, "There's enough hustler in the best of us to qualify for Matthew's table. Maybe you've never taken taxes, but you've taken liberty with the truth, taken credit that wasn't yours, taken advantage of the weak. You and me? Matthew" (24). The story Lucado writes about Matthew explains what kind of person he is and why Jesus chooses to eat with him (Jesus ate with both sinners and saints). He also explains what it means to follow Christ. It doesn't mean we have to be weird. It doesn't mean we have to stop hanging out with certain friends. Lucado says, "A few introductions would be nice" (24). This is kind of convicting to me. I think a lot of times, if I'm feeling iffy about a certain friendship...if I feel that it is not helping me grow in my relationship with the Lord, I often try to dismiss it. I don't talk to or hang out with that person as much, maybe. But Lucado is telling us that following Christ means the exact opposite of that! We are supposed to introduce that person to Christ! Hmm...that's a lot harder, eh? I think that's why I seem to always take "the easy way out" and just avoid certain relationships. But I know that God created us all...and that He loves us all...sinners and saints.

Lord, please help me to love all of Your children...sinners and saints. Help me to remain humble as I maintain friendships with those around me and as I make new friendships. Open my eyes to Your way of seeing, open my mind to Your way of thinking, and open my heart to Your way of loving.