Have you ever seen a caterpillar preparing it's cacoon? It's an amazing sight to see! How a worm type creature, with no physical attraction, will seek out a peaceful place to be transformed. When the caterpillar is redeemed from the cacoon it is no longer an unattractive worm but a beautiful butterfly, a creature that causes even the most hardened of people to stop and acknowledge it's briiliant colour's splashed like a beautiful oil painting across it's wings. The process is a marvelous piece of nature!
To me that is the exact picture of what happens when someone truly meets Christ for the first time, I don't just mean a hearing of Him but a Divine revelation of the majesty of God, one cannot remain unchanged after meeting Jesus face to gave, heart to heart!
Like the Caterpillar a none believer will seek a peaceful place to seek this God that they have heard about, as they seek Him God wraps His loving arms around them and as they meet with Him they are transformed into a beautiful and majestic creature with only a slight representation of the former self! The old has gone and the new has come!
You know what breaks my heart in this process? The fact that other 'butterflies' will tell that caterpillar they are too 'far gone' to be transformed! We judge people by their actions and resort to threatening of a place called hell instead of loving and accepting them for who they are. The caterpillar doesn't have to bring anything into the cacoon but itself! How can we expect people who are meeting God for the first time to have it 'all together', we suggest atleast some cleansing before being enveloped in the cacoon of God's love. That is rubbish! Who are we to judge people because they 'sin', are we all exempt from sin? None of us are perfect and if Jesus accepte us as we were how can we not accept and love others as they are? Or job as 'believers' is not to do the 'changing', our job is to do the loving and accepting! Paul calls us Ambassadors of Christ, the only value Ambassadors carry is that of the country etc they are representing!
What does scripture tell us? Let's look at a man called Zacchaeus, this guy was a tax collector in the time of Jesus' life on earth. These guys were considered absolute scum, nobody wanted anything to do with them, a normal person on the street would never be seen with one let alone a Rabbi! But Jesus doesn't love as the world loves, as we see here in Luke:
''When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, come down. 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'.''
To me that is the exact picture of what happens when someone truly meets Christ for the first time, I don't just mean a hearing of Him but a Divine revelation of the majesty of God, one cannot remain unchanged after meeting Jesus face to gave, heart to heart!
Like the Caterpillar a none believer will seek a peaceful place to seek this God that they have heard about, as they seek Him God wraps His loving arms around them and as they meet with Him they are transformed into a beautiful and majestic creature with only a slight representation of the former self! The old has gone and the new has come!
You know what breaks my heart in this process? The fact that other 'butterflies' will tell that caterpillar they are too 'far gone' to be transformed! We judge people by their actions and resort to threatening of a place called hell instead of loving and accepting them for who they are. The caterpillar doesn't have to bring anything into the cacoon but itself! How can we expect people who are meeting God for the first time to have it 'all together', we suggest atleast some cleansing before being enveloped in the cacoon of God's love. That is rubbish! Who are we to judge people because they 'sin', are we all exempt from sin? None of us are perfect and if Jesus accepte us as we were how can we not accept and love others as they are? Or job as 'believers' is not to do the 'changing', our job is to do the loving and accepting! Paul calls us Ambassadors of Christ, the only value Ambassadors carry is that of the country etc they are representing!
What does scripture tell us? Let's look at a man called Zacchaeus, this guy was a tax collector in the time of Jesus' life on earth. These guys were considered absolute scum, nobody wanted anything to do with them, a normal person on the street would never be seen with one let alone a Rabbi! But Jesus doesn't love as the world loves, as we see here in Luke:
''When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, come down. 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'.''
Luke 19:5-7
Jesus not only spoke to Zacchaeus but He went and stayed in his house and most probably ate a meal with him. Why? Zacchaeus had sought a 'peaceful' place to catch a glimpse of this Man he had heard about, One who had healed many sick and performed many miracles. He sought a spot away from the croud to try and see for himself. Just like the caterpillar going into it's cacoon, Zacchaeus was changed! He was a new creation after meeting with Jesus, Zacchaeus promised to repay back 4 times those who he had cheated and all Jesus did was offer His friendship and acceptance, no harsh words of how much of a sinner Zacchaeus was, just love and acceptance! And as a result a once decietful and dishonest man found truth and salvation, who would believe a caterpillar like Zacchaeus could become a beautiful butterfly!
Next time a 'caterpillar' comes to die somewhere near you, don't judge, don't point out their obvious external short comings! Point them to Jesus, accept them, love them, as Jesus did and maybe one more may be won for Christ, maybe one more will transform into a beautiful majestic butterfly!
'Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.'
Jesus not only spoke to Zacchaeus but He went and stayed in his house and most probably ate a meal with him. Why? Zacchaeus had sought a 'peaceful' place to catch a glimpse of this Man he had heard about, One who had healed many sick and performed many miracles. He sought a spot away from the croud to try and see for himself. Just like the caterpillar going into it's cacoon, Zacchaeus was changed! He was a new creation after meeting with Jesus, Zacchaeus promised to repay back 4 times those who he had cheated and all Jesus did was offer His friendship and acceptance, no harsh words of how much of a sinner Zacchaeus was, just love and acceptance! And as a result a once decietful and dishonest man found truth and salvation, who would believe a caterpillar like Zacchaeus could become a beautiful butterfly!
Next time a 'caterpillar' comes to die somewhere near you, don't judge, don't point out their obvious external short comings! Point them to Jesus, accept them, love them, as Jesus did and maybe one more may be won for Christ, maybe one more will transform into a beautiful majestic butterfly!
'Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.'
1 Peter 4:8-9
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