HEARTLIGHTTwo Minute Meditations
 
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ays we treat people: how we relegate them to insignificance so we don’t have to interact with them or involve ourselves in their lives. Like the people in John 9, we often treat people...

    Jesus, on the other hand, would not allow anyone to push the significance of a person to the side. That’s why he sticks up for the man in John 9! He would not allow his disciples to stick this man in the convenient bin of irrelevance or theological illustration.

To dismiss a tragedy because the people involved are not like “us” is sick.
    “This is a person made by God. We’re put here to help God’s work come to life in him!” Jesus says to them. (vs. 3)

    And you know, that is the way Jesus treated people. He was always looking to do the work of God in their lives. He wanted them to find new life in God’s creative grace. (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

    Our world minimizes the value of a person — whether that person is an unborn child, a victim of crime or tragedy, an old person losing mental capacity, or that strangely irritating person we try to avoid at work. We would prefer they pass us by on their way to insignificance. That way they won’t become a bother, an irritation, or an ongoing “situation.”

    Jesus won’t let us exercise this option. There are no irrelevant people to Jesus, and there are only so many moments we get on this earth to touch them. Light is not around forever. Darkness is coming. So while we’re here, while we have influence in this life, Jesus wants us to make an impact by treating people as he did. (vs. 4) As long as God gave him life, Jesus was determined to share his light with others. (vs. 5) That’s our mission, too! (cf. Matthew 5:14-16)

    Can you imagine what would happen if we really took seriously what Jesus is saying? Can you imagine the revolution in our world if we helped others see their significance to God?

    Can you imagine what would happen if our first question when we met someone was, “I wonder what I can do to help do the work of God come to life in this person?”

    I’m not sure what the world would look like if we lived life this way, but I’d sure love to find out! Let’s start the ultimate Christian conspiracy: let’s start the conspiracy of significance and value people the way that Jesus does!

 
 
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