We create so many hoops for people to jump through to get to Jesus. 

These people are usually broken, and some have hurts so deep they can barely walk. Yet we ask them to jump through our hoop. 

We have to make the walk to the Savior easier. He never made one person’s journey difficult. It was so easy.

In Luke 19:3, there is a story of a guy named Zacchaeus who was climbing high to see Jesus one day when he came into town. If you read that story, you will see that Jesus told him to come out of the tree, because he wanted to have dinner with him. It was as if Jesus was saying “don’t jump through a hoop. I’m coming to your house” (it was a place he should not be according to Jewish tradition because he was a hated tax collector) but Jesus loved him too. So, he made it easy for him. We should follow the example Jesus left for us.  

In another story about a woman at the well in John 4:4, the story says Jesus “had to go through Samaria” I think it was specifically to find this woman. A woman who was married five times and living with a man she wasn’t married to. He didn’t focus on her sin. He just came by to give her living water. It is such an incredible story. It resulted in her telling her whole town and the revival that followed was epic. 

In Mark 5:1, we can read about how Jesus ministry with the the demon possessed man could be described as; He came, He saw, He conquered. He came to the town, he saw the man was plagued by a legion of demons, he conquered Satan and then set that man free. The man had suffered from childhood. What a story! The man was then able to tell those in his village of the miracle in his life. All because Jesus came to set him free that day. What if we looked around at people who could use the healing message of Jesus love and hope? 

Proverbs 13:12a, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” No wonder there are so many sick people wondering aimlessly around. They need someone to help them. 

If we choose to focus on the sin of others instead of the love of Jesus, we miss opportunity for change in entire communities, cities, and even bigger. 

Remove the hoops and barriers and let people walk freely up to Jesus. All they need is a clear path. He provides the rest. 

©2023 Marsha L. Brown