Matthew

by Elanor

Today in church, we tend to emphasize God's inclusivity: He loves the entire world, "I will go down any path to find you." These things are true. However, as I read the book of Matthew, the attitude that jumps out at me is one of selection. Jesus' parables--the four soils, the tares and the wheat--emphasize that, while some people will become His disciples, many will not. I used to think of this issue of the wide and narrow gates as motivation for me to share the Gospel more or better, or to love people in a different way. I would often look with regret on relationships, thinking that if only I had done something different, perhaps that person would be closer to God than they are. Jesus did not think that way. Rather than try to coddle His followers for fear of losing them, rather than allowing each one to go "at his own pace," Jesus would purposely try to get rid of the unmotivated: He told confusing stories; He assigned people difficult tasks; He asked for total devotion above all else. He was not afraid to let people go if they were not driven to come to Him out of their own conviction.

I've always seen my job as being that of persuading people to follow Jesus. Jesus did not try to persuade; that is the job of the Holy Spirit. Instead, He confronted people with the truth and allowed them to choose.