different rules

This morning, five little words in the middle of one of the most boring parts of the Bible stabbed me in the heart, but not for the reason you’re probably going to think when you hear them. The words: “For you it is unclean.”

Moses said that as he described in Deuteronomy 14 animals God’s people shouldn’t eat. What convicted me this morning was the word “you.” For God’s people, this rule. But others could eat; in fact, Israelites could provide unclean food to foreigners.

See, here’s my problem: I like to judge unbelievers by God’s, or more accurately my, rules. I hold them to the high standards for believers. Yet God’s way throughout scripture seems to be to love and win over unbelievers.

The best process seems to be this. Step 1 - “Let me be your friend. Let me help you.” Step 2 - “Why am I helping? Because Jesus loves you just like he loves me. Let me tell you about him.” Step 3 - “Now that you know Jesus and want to follow him, let’s talk about how we all struggle to obey.”

I don’t often do that. I, in the privacy of my own skull, say things like, “Why should we have to give rights to perverts?” “I’m boycotting you because you support sinners.” “Get a job - you’re a drag on the rest of us.” I want them all to obey Jesus without having to be Jesus to them. Sometimes I’m a modern-day Pharisee, all about rules and not much about love.

Those five little words suggest that God is tolerant and loving towards those not yet won. He has a different expectation for them. And, it seems, he expects different things of me when I’m with unbelievers, too.