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Care to be different and make a difference

"And Jesus replied to them, It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.
I have not come to arouse and invite and call the righteous, but the erring ones (those not free from sin) to repentance [to change their minds for the better and heartily to amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins]." Luke 5:31,32

The above words were spoken by Jesus in response to Pharisees and scribes who were complaining that Jesus and His disciples were eating with tax collectors and preeminently sinful people.

The Pharisees and scribes were the religious leaders of the day and they were living hypocrite lives and misunderstood the whole concept of living separated life (Holy life). Outwardly, in view of the public, they were very religious, looking very gentle and pious. At the same time, they distanced themselves from common people who were needy, such as sick people, tax collectors, slaves, poor people etc.

They had this wrong understanding about the heart of God that if they live such separated lives, Messiah will come for them and will reward. But they didn't realize that Jesus is indeed the Messiah that they were looking for, even though from time to time this fact had been revealed.

Unfortunately, in modern times also, many people misunderstood what it is to live a holy and separated life. Instead of letting ourselves insulated by the grace of God, we try to distance and exclude ourselves from the people around us. This will result in issues such as
  • We try to protect ourselves with our own strength and eventually we fail. It is God's plan that we shall be protected and insulated by His grace becoming perfect in our weakness.
  • We lose the wonderful opportunities to be witnesses unto God. If we distance ourselves from the needy people, where is the opportunity to be of any use? If we look at Jesus, He consciously made himself available to all kinds of people who were in need such as tax collectors, sick people, sinners, poor, social outcasts, weak. He made Himself available for the purpose for which He came.
Biblical understanding of separated life is not to isolate or distance oneself from the so called sinners around him, but to be insulated by the grace of God. When God's grace is freely available for us to be of positive influence in our circle of influence, can you care to be different?

Questions to Ponder:
What is your understanding of Holy life? Distancing your self or insulation by God's grace?
Have you distanced yourself from the needy people around you?

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