Remove the Barriers

In a recent post, I wrote about encouraging each other by sharing our faith, I made the following remark:

The powerful thing that I have found is that, once one person will make that initial move, to reach across that barrier and open up and reveal something personal and meaningful, the other person will no longer be held back by that barrier either, allowing for the free and profitable exchange of the righteousness of the gospel revealed in our lives - from faith to faith.

I had the opportunity to hear a series of lectures a few weeks ago on leadership, and one of them focused on the qualities of a servant. Naturally, the example set by Jesus came up, and one remarkable conclusion about His life is the incredible level of openness that He had with people.

Jesus, though He was perfect, didn't consider Himself to be too good to associate with people of bad reputation:

Mark 2:15
Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.

When the Pharisees saw this, they questioned the fact that He was eating with such ungodly people. Jesus responded in verse 17: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Jesus had no apprehension about talking to sinners. In fact, He actively sought them out to help them. He talked openly with any man or woman, or with a crowd of any size. He washed people's feet and befriended prostitutes. The Jews of His day were shocked and astounded by this!

He gave of Himself to fulfill the needs of whoever He was talking to. To those who needed to be rebuked strongly, Jesus rebuked strongly:

Matthew 23:15
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

Those who had long been isolated from human contact, He reached out and touched:

Matthew 8:2-3 
A leper came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing, be cleansed." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

What really struck the Pharisees about Jesus was that He was not held back by any of the usual social barriers by which they separated themselves. No one was too important for Him to openly rebuke, and no one was too unimportant for Him to share a meal with.

We all have barriers in our lives, whether we're aware of them or not. They can stop us from forming deeper relationships with our brethren, from having meaningful discussion on God's Sabbath, or from sharing our hardships with one another.

Galatians 6:1
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

Do you know someone in the church who has been overtaken by a trespass? Have you tried to restore them in a spirit of gentleness, or have you simply sat back and hoped that they would fix their own problems? Or, worse, have you judged them for it and decided that they needed to get over it before you'll associate with them again? This is a barrier that you can reach across - this is the work that God has given you to do.

Galatians 6:2
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 

Do you know what the burdens of the people in your local church are? People don't freely offer what their burdens are in a conversation about football - there has to be open and honest communication. That requires not only trust, but also for someone to take the initiative of reaching across the barrier that keeps us from sharing our real problems with each other. 

The conversations that matter are the hardest for us to have. They seem like they'll be too uncomfortable. They seem like they'll be too awkward. We don't know how to start them. We're afraid of what people will think if we share something personal about ourselves. But Jesus Christ has shown us a better way to live - a way without barriers. Consider that He has reached across greater barriers than these to reconcile you, and how profitable that act has been for you.