IThis week, we will be thinking about the value of every human life. Most of us know that the Bible teaches that each human being is made in God's image. We don't know everything that this actually means, do we? But, whether we go to church often or not, we probably know that saying someone "bears the image of God" means that we believe the person is of great value.
So, mark this down: Followers of Jesus believe that there is something sacred about every human life—regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, educational level, religious background, socioeconomic status, or place of birth. This is something that should be a distinguishing mark of the church of Jesus Christ, i.e., that we believe all human beings are of infinite value simply because they are human. That does not mean that all human beings are living up to this identity. In fact, all of us fall short of what God has made us to be. However, the consistent message of the Bible is that
- God loves us;
- God has made us to live lives of love, justice, and truth—but we all fall short in countless ways of what we should be;
- God has found a way to forgive the wrongs we have in our pasts; and
- God is ready to come into our lives and begin remaking us to be what he created us to be in the first place.
All this, of course, is good news. But, this message has implications for how we live if we will follow Jesus. One thing it teaches us is that we should see people as God does and treat people the way Jesus did. In Mark 7:24–37, we read two stories that should help us understand how to do this. In the first story (verses 24–30), Jesus blessed a woman whom other religious people would have utterly avoided. In the second (verses 31–37), Jesus spent time with, heals, and honors a man others would have completely devalued. Although the people in his world did not live this way personally, they recognized that this is the way we all should be. The Bible tells us, People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said.
When we see Jesus in relationship with people, we know that this is how we should live, too. So, this week, I want us all to consider carefully what Jesus did—and then to hear him say to us, "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37).
To His Glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor