Luke 5:32 | Repentance

Luke 5:32 ESV says, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Is it possible for Jesus to be much more clear about his mission? I wonder how his mission compares to the actions of the church in the world today? More specifically, I wonder how his mission compares to your mission for the kingdom?

Jesus came to a world that was religiously segregated. The righteous were the ones who got the special privileges and were able to advance in the culture. It was a society where the righteous leaders would look for righteous followers to grow their ministry.

Jesus was different. He looked for the sinners and the broken to invite them to be on his ministry team. He sought out the sick and hurting to deliver his message of hope. He called them to repentance, restored them, and shepherded them faithfully.

It was a simple strategy that was far more effective than religious elitism. Jesus called people who were hungry for freedom and filled them with his power and wisdom. The book of Acts shows uneducated men turning cities upside-down with the gospel.

Of course, the kingdom is not excluding those with wealth, intelligence, or success, but a heart posture is critical for living in God’s presence. That is the posture of humility.

Corey Russel shared in an UPPERROOM message that humility is the currency of heaven. It is true! The kingdom of God is closer to a broken sinner than a “healthy” religious follower. I put healthy in quotations because perfection is merely a mask for an inner deficiency. The broken need only find the one who is life and be restored. The religious may discover the spirit of freedom and disregard it because it calls them to surrender. One way or another, we have to come into the kingdom aware of our need for God, and those who are filled with pride must first dismantle their protective wall before allowing the king to restore them.

Where does that leave us?

We recently remembered that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven are those who become humble like children. The path to this humble position is repentance. Repentance is simply this: becoming humble enough to allow the shepherd to restore you to the flock.

Jesus came for those who knew they needed a savior, so that is the posture of abiding that is most fruitful. Meditate on Jesus’ words today and ask God to show you how to grow in humility.

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