Acts 10: 34–38 & Matthew 3: 13–17

No Favourites: God’s Radical Welcome

By Revd George Mwaura

It’s no secret that people want to belong. We want to be seen, known, and welcomed – well, I do.  But if we’re honest, most of us have, at some point, walked into a room, maybe even a church, and wondered: Do I really belong here? You see, we all crave a sense of belonging. Yet, too often, the world, and sometimes even the church, puts up barriers. We divide ourselves by background, by belief, by appearance or politics. As a keen student of social anthropology, I get amused looking at folks during coffee fellowship after service.  One can easily spot clusters of Nigerians, Kenyans, Zimbabweans, the Choir, etc. Banding with our own comes naturally; and there is nothing wrong with that. Human beings though, unconsciously draw lines of who’s in and who’s out. But what does God say about who belongs?

Let’s look at two examples in Scripture. One from the early church and one from the start of Jesus’ ministry. In Acts 10, Peter stands in the home of Cornelius, a Roman soldier. Cornelius is not a Jew. He’s an outsider by every measure. And yet, God sends Peter, not just to visit, but to proclaim the good news. Peter starts his message with a confession: I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism, he says, but God accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. Wow! That is a radical statement coming from Peter. A Jewish man raised in strict belief that the Jews were Gods chosen people. Now, standing in a Gentile’s home, Peter declares: God doesn’t play favourites. Halleluiah!

On the contrary, God welcomes all who seek him. Regardless of where they come from, what they look like, or what language they speak. And if God doesn’t play favourites, neither should we. Peter goes on to say this about Jesus: God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil. You see, Jesus’ ministry wasn’t for insiders only. He crossed lines: religious, social, gender, economic and ethnic, to bring healing and hope to all. The walls people built up, Jesus tore them down. Picture a clubhouse with a big sign at the gate that reads, members only! Now, imagine someone coming along, tearing down the sign, and flinging the doors wide open allowing anyone to enter. That’s what God does with His grace. The doors are open. The invitation is for everyone-Amen!

In the gospel, Jesus comes to John the Baptist and asks to be baptised. But John tries to stop him. saying: I need to be baptised by you, and you come to me? Here’s the point: Jesus doesn’t need to repent or be baptised. He’s sinless. But he chooses to identify with us, standing shoulder to shoulder with humanity in the muddy waters of our everyday existence. It’s like a General Manager of a factory putting on overalls and working alongside the casual workers, not because he needs to learn the job, but to show he’s one with them. Jesus steps fully into our story. He’s not distant. He’s with us and for us.

As Jesus came out of the water, the heavens opened. The Spirit of God descended like a dove and a voice from heaven was heard saying: This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. If one is not observant enough, it’s easy to miss how powerful this moment is. Before Jesus preaches a sermon, before he performs a miracle, or even calls a disciple, God declares you are my beloved. And that’s the foundation for everything Jesus went on to do. And if we are in Christ, we too are called beloved. We are empowered by the Spirit for God’s good work.

So, what does this mean for us? It means the church must be the place where barriers break down. It means our welcome must be as wide and as radical as God’s, to reach outsiders. And who are the outsiders in our context? Who needs to hear God’s welcome from us this week? Maybe it’s your new neighbour, the new employee who seems different from us, the person who’s never been to church before. Maybe it’s the Ukrainian or Palestinian refugee struggling to learn English, or indeed the homeless man sleeping round the corner of our church. If God’s grace has flung the doors open, let’s not be the ones shutting them and putting up new barriers. Imagine what could happen if every person who walked through the doors of our church, or met us in the world, felt that radical welcome of God though us.

Pray with me: God of all nations, break down the walls in our hearts. Teach us to welcome as you welcome and to love as you love, by the power of your Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Mighty Name.  And the church say:

Amen!