ALL POSTS

It's easy to learn about what Jesus wants from us. We can study scripture, discuss theology, and understand what God values. We can even agree that God's kingdom has no outsiders and that we're called to move toward the margins. But knowing isn't the same as doing. Sometimes we'd rather stay comfortable in our sacred spaces than actually follow Jesus into the world. But we're not just called to know Jesus, we're called to follow him.

Jesus tells his followers, "You are the salt of the earth" and "You are the light of the world." But even though we know what salt and light are, that doesn't mean we completely understand what Jesus has to say.   In the ancient world, salt preserved food from rotting and light protected people from danger. But salt only works when it gets mixed in, and light only works when you shine it. So are you willing to really be salt and light?

Salt doesn't have to wait until it's salty enough before it can preserve food. Light doesn't have to wait until it's bright enough before it can shine in darkness. And you don't have to wait until you're good enough, or smart enough, or spiritual enough, or qualified enough before you can make a difference in God's kingdom.

Walking humbly means we have to follow God instead of trying to control God. It means we have to let go of our insistence on understanding everything. It means we have to acknowledge that our ways are not God's ways and our thoughts are not God's thoughts.

Real mercy means we have to give up our need to fix people. We have to release our desire to control outcomes. We have to let go of our insistence that people earn our compassion by demonstrating they deserve it. We just have to show up, extend grace, and stay engaged even when it's hard.

Biblical justice isn't primarily about punishment. It's about making things right. It's about standing up for people who have been pushed down, speaking up for people who've been silenced, and including people who have been left out.

God isn't interested in separating our Sunday morning behavior from our Monday through Saturday behavior. God isn't impressed when we perform spiritually on Sunday and then ignore injustice, withhold mercy, and operate in arrogance the rest of the week. God wants integration, not compartmentalization. God wants our whole lives, not just our religious activities.

We naturally assume that these religious activities must be what God requires from us. We assume that if we're going to church, reading our Bibles, praying, and giving, we're doing what God wants. But what if we're wrong?

What does God require from us as Christians? Most of us would say going to church, reading the Bible, praying, and giving. We think being a good Christian is primarily about religious activities.

God is in Galilee. Right now. God is working in the overlooked neighborhoods, through the dismissed people, in the unexpected places. God is bringing light to those living in darkness. God is honoring what the world has humbled. God is doing powerful work at the margins while we're waiting for something impressive to happen at the center.

While we're waiting in Jerusalem, insisting that God should work the way we think God should work, people are encountering Jesus in Galilee. Lives are being transformed. Communities are being healed. Justice is being done. The kingdom is advancing. And we're missing all of it because we refused to look beyond our expectations.

While we're waiting for God to show up in the places that make sense – in the big churches with impressive buildings and large budgets, in the ministries with celebrity pastors and national platforms, in the movements that look successful and influential – God is working in the places we're not even paying attention to.

When people heard that Jesus was from Galilee, they dismissed him. They assumed nothing good could come from a place like that. They assumed someone from Galilee couldn't possibly be the Messiah. They assumed that if God were going to do something important, it wouldn't happen there.

When starting something important, you pick a place that already matters, usually somewhere big and prestigious. Everyone expected Jesus to begin his ministry in Jerusalem, the religious center of Israel, where God's presence dwelt. But Jesus went to Galilee instead—a place looked down on and dismissed. While we wait for God in Jerusalem, God's working in Galilee. Are we paying attention?

When you're starting something important, you don't pick just anywhere. You pick a place that already matters. If you're launching a tech startup, you go to Silicon Valley. If you're opening a new restaurant, you choose the busiest part of town. Because important things are supposed to start in important places.

We're all the rejects that Jesus called anyway. Every single one of us. The people who think they're qualified and the people who know they're not. The people who've been following Jesus for decades and the people who just started exploring faith. The people who have their theology figured out and the people who are still full of questions. All of us are the rejects that Jesus called anyway.

Not everyone who reads about Jesus tearing down barriers to following him feels liberated. Some people feel exposed. Because some of us aren't trying to decide if other people are qualified. We're trying to figure out if we're qualified. We're not rebuilding barriers to keep others out. We're standing outside the barriers wondering if we'll ever be good enough to get in.

Jesus doesn't call people who have it all together. Jesus calls people who are falling apart. Jesus doesn't choose people who meet the qualifications. Jesus chooses people who've been disqualified. Jesus doesn't wait for people to prove they're worthy. Jesus calls them anyway.

"Come and see." That's all Jesus said to his first disciples. Not "prove yourself." Not "convince me you're worthy." Not "pass this test." Just "come and see." There's something profound in this simple invitation. Because "come and see" means you don't have to have it all figured out before you start following Jesus.

In Jesus' day, becoming a disciple required proving yourself worthy. You had to demonstrate your qualifications and convince a rabbi you had what it takes. So most people were rejected. Then Jesus called fishermen and tax collectors—people already rejected or who never bothered applying. He tore down the barriers. But we keep rebuilding them. Who have we decided isn't qualified?