“Jesus is found at the edge of lostness.”
These words from a friend, brother, and ministry partner at East-West packed a punch that spun me into a depth of thoughts for days on end.
Jesus is found at the edge of lostness.
Is that true? In my internal processing, I recalled story after story of Jesus’ life on earth throughout the gospels.
He found his disciple—Matthew—at his tax collecting booth. A known scoundrel and swindler of money, Matthew was hated by the masses and undoubtedly far from God, yet Jesus met him in the midst of his thieving and called him to follow.
“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.” -Matthew 9:9
Matthew welcomed Jesus into his home, and our Savior dined at a table surrounded by others of his kind and publicly known sinners … and the religious scoffed.
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” -Matthew 9:11
That’s when we see into the heart of Jesus.
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” -Matthew 9:12-12
Mercy, not sacrifice. The Presence of God in the mess rather than abandonment due to imperfection. Healing at the Hands of the Great Physician. This is Jesus at the brink of lostness.
Jesus is found at the edge of lostness.
And the stories continue.
The sinful woman known for her promiscuous deeds who was sent away forgiven and at peace with God through Jesus (Luke 7:36-50).
The Gerasene Demoniac—a tomb-dweller once filled with 2,000 demons sent to declare the works of Jesus throughout his homeland (Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-39).
Zacchaeus—another tax collector Jesus welcomed into His Presence. In doing so, he and his household were granted salvation (Luke 19:1-10).
The woman at the well at the wrong time of day because of a list of men from her past and present. She was the very one chosen to unveil Jesus as Messiah for the first time (John 4:1-42).
The hated, tormented, and tainted. The lost and hurting who were pursued and set free.
Indeed, Jesus is found at the edge of lostness. Are you there with Him?