“Therefore welcome one
another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God" (Romans 15:7)
The pressing question of this verse is ‘how has Christ welcomed us’? A brief meditation reveals this verse
to be an immense challenge issued to the church, for…
Christ has welcomed us with sincere love as opposed to a
cool apathy. Christ has welcomed us with an invitation rather than coercion.
Christ has welcomed us with concern, rather than indifference to, our welfare. Christ
welcomes us with hard and challenging words rather than an unloving
permissiveness. On Earth Christ welcomed unconditionally those of different
nationality, race, educational level, social class and wealth than himself. Christ
welcomes us at a great cost to himself, embracing a filthy cradle, a manual
apprenticeship in an obscure backwater, a band of rough fishermen as his best
friends, a cruel crucifixion and a dark tomb in order to secure our everlasting
welcome in His, the Father and the Spirit’s presence.
May our welcome of each other be so shaped after Jesus.
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