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REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “It’s a family affair”. A family affair is a phrase used to describe the events and happenings of a group of people who are in close affinity with one another. In the context of today’s reflection, “family affair” means a family celebration or party or get-together which is regularly observed by Jesus and those considered to be sinners. “Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:27-32)

Dear friend, Jesus associated himself with those who were considered to be sinners and made them part of His family because He knew they needed to be saved. On the other hand, the sinners also realised that there was a void of unrighteousness in their lives that needed to be filled with the righteousness and salvation of Jesus, therefore they wholeheartedly accept Jesus into their lives and homes. Apart from Levi, another tax collector known as Zacchaeus also had the honour of hosting Jesus when Jesus told him “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:-510. (Luke 19:5-6). Beloved in the Lord, it is a family affair for Jesus to dine with sinners and in the end, develop a relationship with them that lead to their salvation. It must be a family affair for the Church and for that matter Christians to develop a relationship with those who are perishing through the preaching of the Gospel and other social interventions. Some people are yearning to be saved, all they need is a god-fearing and loving person who will hold their hands and welcome them to Christ. How can we discover sinners who yearn to have a relationship with Christ through repentance and regeneration? We must follow the example of Christ by having compassion for those who are perishing and be willing to have a familial relationship with them by demonstrating the unconditional love Jesus gave us, in that “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Again Jesus instructs us, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:12-14)

Unfortunately, some Christian Churches and Christians have become like the Pharisees and teachers of the law, we have become self-righteous and judgemental and do not see the importance of evangelism or reaching out to those beyond the walls of the Church. Our attitude is like the elder brother of the prodigal son, who begrudged the Father’s love for his lost but found brother. (Luke 15:28-30). Most Christians erroneously believe that the Church is all about those who are saved and their welfare. We see the manifestation of this fact in the annual budget of most churches. The church budget is usually about the building project and annual party for church members and their welfare. Hardly does evangelism or outreach take the centre stage of our annual church budget as an indication that we understand and are ready to obey our Lord Jesus when He said “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:15). We have built walls around ourselves, and we term it a “family affair.” The practice of most churches in Ghana is usually known in Ghanaian parlance as “No contribution, no chop” In other words, you need to be a registered and paid-up member to benefit from the church. Conversely, the real family affair is when we follow the example of Christ in welcoming the lost sheep into His sheepfold through outreach programmes. Like Jesus, saving the lost was a family affair to Paul, therefore, he wrote that “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:22-23). Dear friend, there is a Levi and a Zacchaeus out there yearning to dine with Jesus, it is our responsibility to go there and invite them home because Jesus has given us the mandate to do so when He said “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:18-19). Saving the lost and the perishing by developing a Christocentric relationship with them through preaching and dining with them is a family affair that the Church must do regularly. Shalom.

PRAYER

Dear Lord Jesus, redirect the focus of Your church to the important assignment of the Great Commission so that the salvation of the lost and perishing shall become a family affair and a priority of the Church. Amen.