When Jesus walked the earth, what kind of people did he talk to? Only those who believed in him? Only the rich and powerful? Only the good and moral? Only the religious?
Below is a list of just some of the people Jesus talked to. Some of them approached him; some of them he initiated the conversation. Look at these stories from the Injil:
A despised tax collector (Matthew 9:9-12)
An insane, demon-possessed man in Jordan (Mark 5:1-20)
A powerful Roman governor (John 18:33-40)
A prominent religious leader (John 3:1–21)
A busy, frustrated homemaker (Luke 10:38–42)
An expert but devious lawyer (Matthew 22:34-40)
A hardened criminal being executed (Luke 23:39–43)
A synagogue ruler with a dying daughter (Mark 5:21-24, 35-43)
A group of four fishermen (Matthew 4:18–22)
A crying widow (Luke 7:11-17; 21:1-4)
A Roman army captain over 100 men (Luke 7:1–10)
A group of children (Mark 10:13–16)
A unique prophet (Matthew 3)
A woman caught in adultery about to be stoned (John 8:1–11)
A hypocritical supreme court (Luke 22:66–71)
A sick, desperate woman (Mark 5:25–34)
A rich young man (Matthew 19:17–23)
A blind beggar (Mark 10:46-52)
A group of corrupt political leaders (Mark 12:13)
A group of women (Luke 8:2–3)
A power hungry high priest (Matthew 26:62–68)
An outcast with leprosy (Luke 17:11–19)
A dead little girl (Mark 5:35-43)
A friend turned traitor (John 13:1–3)
A paralyzed, helpless man (Mark 2:1–12)
An angry mob of soldiers (John 18:3-9)
A desperate woman from Lebanon (Mark 7:25–30)
A doubting follower (John 20:24–29)
An enemy who hated him and his followers (Acts 9:1–9)
It’s amazing, isn’t it? All the different kinds of people that Jesus talked to?
But here’s the really amazing thing. Jesus wants to talk. . .with you!
Man or woman – he wants to talk with you.
Powerful or powerless – he wants to talk with you.
Free or in prison – he wants to talk with you.
Palestinian or Indonesian – he wants to talk with you.
Widow or orphan – he wants to talk with you.
Adult or child – he wants to talk with you.
Rich or poor – he wants to talk with you.
Success or failure – he wants to talk with you.
Saint or sinner – he wants to talk with you.
Whether you fast or not – he wants to talk with you.
Whether you give zakat or not – he wants to talk with you.
Whether you pray five times a day or zero times a day – he wants to talk with you.
Whether you go to the mosque and say all the rakats or not – he wants to talk with you.
Whether you went to Mecca or you will never go on the hajj or umrah – he wants to talk with you.
Whether you are a “good” Muslim or not – he wants to talk with you!
How do I know all this? How do I know that Jesus wants to talk with you?
Because he says so himself:
He is knocking.
There is a light on the other side of the door of your heart.
Now. . .
Will you open the door?
Will you invite Jesus in?
Will you say. . .
“Jesus, I hear you knocking on the door of my heart. Thank you for loving me so much that you want to live with me – even inside me. I am a sinner. You have no sin. I am unworthy for you to even come near me. But I ask that you would forgive me and come into my heart so that I can hear your voice. So we can be friends. So I can truly know you.”
“Thank you – Jesus – that you want to talk. . .with me.”
Amen. Lord, speak to my heart & speak to the hearts of those I meet.
Mert, my brother, yes! May He speak to all our hearts. There is nothing like hearing his voice!
I love this post! It brought tears to my eyes as I read it.
Thanks, Deb!
My hope is that each Muslim or Christian who reads this post will see that Jesus wants to speak to them right where they are. Not as perfect people. Not as people who keep every religious rule.
So many of us believe that Jesus only wants to talk to us if we are clean or pure or righteous. In reality, he is looking to speak to people who know their need for him. People who humble themselves. People who are poor in spirit and know that they are spiritually bankrupt apart from the grace of God.
I think he is looking for those people, don’t you?