Jesus said that all the law and all the prophets hang on the two greatest commandments to basically love God and all His children. He also said this: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:34-35He also taught us to love our enemies and pray for those that curse us. He taught that we should love our neighbor. This includes our Muslim neighbor, our Jewish neighbor, our gay neighbor, our republican neighbor, our liberal neighbor, our Hispanic neighbor and addict neighbor.The Gospel message is one of love and acceptance and nessecitates inclusion because exclusion breeds contempt.The commandment to love one another as Christ did is something too many would be disciples find exceptions for just as they find exceptions for loving thy enemy. Jesus provides no exceptions Himself it is only His "followers" who do.How can one truly preach Christs Gospel if they exclude people? Christ excluded no one, He preached and healed sinners of every kind, He ministered to all He met. The poor, the lame, the Roman soldier and the Canaanite woman.Even the Canaanite woman Jesus at first rebuffed but after her persistence He granted her request. His disciples were tax collectors, fishermen and zealots. He had sinners even among His apostles.But it is as Paul wrote: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory." Romans 3:23And Jesus responded this way when asked why He ministered to the sinners that the Pharisees amongst Him shunned and shamed: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:32Remember when Jesus said "He who is without sin may cast the first stone" and humbled the angry mob and even the Pharisees had nothing to say?That's because we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Only Christ could have thrown a stone yet He did not. Because her sin deserved His compassion not His contempt and if Christ were to shun sinners He would have had nothing to do with any of us since we all sin in some way.The ministry of Jesus was shameless and scandalous because He was so inclusive.
This was scandalous to the Pharisees because for a people who had been immersed in the approach that salvation was only for the Israelites, and that that nation alone were the sole recipients of divine blessings, the message of Jesus seemed purely confusing. Jesus proved this mentality of, only "us" being saved and all others(them) shall burn, wrong. That was His inclusionary scandal.
Jesus preached His message of inclusion versus exclusion in many parables but my favorite is the laborers in the vineyard.
20 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. Matthew 20:1-16
Jesus is saying as long as we eventually find salvation in His message we shall reap its reward. Salvation in Jesus' kingdom is available to all not just a few. Though few may truly find it. Those who society deems best or furst shall be last yet those deemed worst or last shall be first. It was true in His day and it is still true in our own. But it doesn't have to stay true in our future.
