Why Do We Force People to Separate from the Bride (Church) of Jesus?

Verses:  Matthew 5:31-32

My thoughts about the verses:

We read these words and we think it is against the will of God to divorce.  These verses have been used by so many Churches to alienate people who are divorced.  They say that those that are divorced cannot partake in the sacraments of the Church.  The sacraments that they are usually are denied are Marriage and the Eucharist.

Yet, I want to ask us why we separate people from Church when they are at the lowest point of their life.  People who are struggling need God more in those moments than people who are not struggling.  Many churches push those that they feel are not up to the same spiritual aptitude to the side.  They often judge certain sins as so much worse than what they themselves do that they do not accept them.

Imagine if Jesus had done this.  Where would anyone of us do if Jesus said I am only going to save people that do not have sin?  See isn’t that what churches are doing if they push people away.  They are telling them that they are not worthy enough to be part of the family.  Yet, look closely Jesus did the exact opposite.

Jesus did not condemn those that were the outcast of the society.  In fact, these were the people that he preached to.  He went out of his way to show us that we are to have a Church family that makes up many different people.  Jesus didn’t pick and choose who he would allow into the Kingdom of God.

Jesus also made it very clear that those that think their better are not in the eyes of God.  A lot of people act like the Pharisees and Sadducees.  They walk around letting people see them praying.  They want people to think of them as the perfect Christian.  They judge people.  They set the rules on who can be a true Christian.

With this is mind we have to ask are we living in Jesus’s example.  Are we choosing to eliminate people from the Church (Bride of Christ)?  The most important thing to remember is that we have no right to push people away from the Church.  Often those that we push away are the ones that Jesus says are the ones who will inherit the Kingdom of God.

Forcing people out of the Church in their time of need is absolutely against the teachings of Jesus.  Choosing to judge people is against the will of God.  We have to open not only our churches but our hearts.  We have to remember that we should never exclude someone from Church just because we think they are worthy to come to our Church.  When we do this we have to think back to this verse. 

The fact is that when you exclude people that have accepted Jesus out of the Church you are technically divorcing them.  Here is the miracle of Jesus he doesn’t follow the rules of these Churches.  Just because one Church may establish a particular group that they feel are not worthy Jesus says come.  Come to me and do not worry about those that will push you to the side.  Once you are a child of God you can never be taken out of God’s hand.

I also want people to know that Jesus doesn’t say that only this group can come to accept the salvation that Jesus gives to the world.  There are so many Churches that follow the example that God has.  We can find a Church that accepts us for who we are.  If one Church says that you are not worthy.  Then search for a Church that has open arms.  You will soon find that these Churches are blessed by God.  They are growing and doing amazing work in the name of Christ.  Do not think that if you find a Church that accepts you for who you are not blessed by God.  We have to remember this as we go forward and find churches that do not pick and choose who can serve God.

Prayer:

Dear God we thank you for your love.  We thank you for choosing to die for us.  We thank you for accepting us as Children if we will only accept you as our savior.  Help us to open our arms and churches.  Help us dear God not to push people away from the Church.  Help us remember that you are the judge.  In the name of the Holy One we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you given your life over to God?  Are you accepting people into your hearts and church no matter what they have or will do?  Are you forcing people out because of your fears?  Are you walking around acting like a Pharisee or Sadducee acting that you are a better Christian?  Do you choose to live in the example of Jesus?