“I say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”– Martin Luther King Jr.
Yesterday, our country celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We live in a country that has a history of racial adversity and continues to have racial struggles, today. Unfortunately, that is the nature of sin. We constantly seek to improve our status or situation, often at the cost of others.
As with all sin, Jesus stands in contrast to this. He loves all people equally. Every person, regardless of race, is His creation and is precious and priceless in His eyes. He died on the cross for all of us, not just one group, and then He tells us to live like Him and love all people.
The early church struggled with this, too, in regards to the Gentiles. Many, even Peter, thought Jesus just came for the Jews. But God taught him that was not the case.
“So Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.'” – Acts 10:34-35
Peter discovered that God does not show partiality. Ironically, God started teaching this to Peter in a dream, which you can read about in Acts 10.
Unfortunately, the church has struggled with this, as well. However, we in the church, have (or should have) a dream, too, where all people are seen as and treated as equals. We are all created by God. We are all precious in God’s sight. We are also all sinners, desperately in need of God’s grace, which He gives freely to all. We are commanded to treat each other equally in the ministry of the church, just as Jesus did and still does.
Jesus broke down racial barriers during His ministry on earth and I pray we in His church do the same in our ministry.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for loving us…all of us. Help me to love others as You do, even those who are different than me. When I am treated differently by others, remind me that You do not treat me differently, but love me like You love everyone.
Amen
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
Copyright 2022, Faith Lutheran Church, Wesley Chapel. All Rights Reserved.