He Gets Us

 “Jesus doesn’t Hate. He Gets Us.” The words filled the screen after the plethora of images of people washing other people’s feet. Then, the Internet blew up. “Heretics!!!” “He doesn’t condone sin!!!!” Did the ad say that he condoned sin? Did Jesus ignore and judge sinners or did he eat with them? Did he wash the feet of eleven, no ten, righteous disciples, or did he also wash the feet of Judas who betrayed him hours later and Peter who denied him three times hours later? Jesus loves everyone. He wants us to serve others to reveal the love that Jesus has for them. That’s where it BEGINS. 

“But they showed washing the feet of a woman outside an abortion clinic!!! Jesus wouldn’t do that!” So, your church would accept all sinners except women who have had an abortion? So, Jesus can’t forgive those who had abortions? Are you limiting the grace of Jesus? Does your church limit the love and grace of Jesus? I’ m not condemning those who have screamed, and I’m not condoning sin, but I am going to proclaim that those behind this campaign got it right this time. 

People get offended if you breathe wrong, so I’m done with people being offended. I got this because Jesus does get us. Some of you get ready because you will get offended. 

Jesus loves all of us with all the filthy sins that we obtain. I never understood why so many Christians expected people to clean up their lives on their own before they came to Jesus who forgives all sin. Jesus healed people when He walked on earth, but He also forgave their sins. Jesus came for the sinners not the righteous. Although Christians believe in the love and grace of Jesus, we struggle for sinners to walk into our presence and especially our churches. 

“You have to stop letting the BAD kids come to this youth group. Church is for the good kids whose parents come here.” Said the parent of one of my students in youth ministry whose kid wreaked havoc everywhere he went. I looked at her confused. I said something like, “Jesus wants all the children to come to him.” I then walked away disappointed and confused. My youth ministry just started reaching the kids in the community, and the righteous church goers didn’t want them. So, when I say getting fired was the best thing that happened to me, this was just one of those reasons. 

In my years of attending church, Lakewood Christian, Mosaic Church, and Eastside Christian have always allowed sinners to enter. They allow Jesus’s power to work. People don’t come to Jesus because they see Christian’s super righteous behavior or ideals. They come to Jesus because they experience His love. The only way people can experience the love of Jesus is through Christians demonstrating His love by serving them. 

We cannot limit who we serve. We cannot just serve the righteous. The Dream Center in Los Angeles has served anyone and everyone without any questions. The community around them changed for the better. The love of Jesus spread into the lives of people who many would deem undesirable. 

So here comes the righteous. “If we love them, then we tell them the truth.” That’s correct. Ephesians 4:15 informs us to speak the truth in love. We serve and wash their feet. Then, they see the love of Jesus. Missionaries told me people come to Jesus when they trust you. Trust takes time. For the people screaming, it’s taken many of us time to trust and love you. 

Others criticize those behind this campaign that the money could be spent on the poor. Don’t quote Judas. If you want money to go to the poor, give your money to the poor. This commercial reached people. It made people think. That’s why people screamed. We don’t want to serve. We want others to see our great righteousness, and then we become confused that they just see our flaws and sins. Let’s love with serving. 

Here’s the challenge. Rewatch the commercial. Find that person in your life that you need to wash their feet. Don’t lecture or give a sermon, just serve them and their needs. Then, watch Jesus do His work. Then, maybe you will see that, "He Gets Us." That is the true love. Now, have a Happy Valentine’s Day with chocolate and an attitude of humility to love. 

“Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, so not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a; CSB)