No Kid Is A Throw Away
Posted on Thursday, June 4, 2015 by
“Don't judge a book by it's cover..."
That phrase was drilled into all of us growing up, but do we actually believe it? To never assume we know something or someone solely based off what we see? I think Jesus was the first person to fully live this out. As I read through the stories of Jesus’ life, I’m shocked at how He didn’t judge the outward appearance. One of my favorite stories in the bible is about a woman caught in adultery…
After being dragged by religious leaders, naked through the dirt, Jesus speaks on her behalf and tells her to go and sin no more.
I think Jesus saw past this woman’s outward appearance and actions. I think He saw the injustice that happened in her life, and how she had been stripped of her self-worth long before she was brought to him. I believe Jesus saw her and He understood her.
Our kids at SOZO
Doing ministry in the Hilltop Area of Tacoma, I have had many moments with kids where I get to see who they truly are. One kid that comes to mind is a sixth grader who attends Jason Lee Middle School. He’s one of my favorite kids I get to do life with and he is every one of the following:
- A Troublemaker
- Disrespectful to authority
- The “Bad” Kid
We automatically hit it off because he really likes to play basketball and after playing with him at lunch, he’s started coming to SOZO on Tuesday nights. When he learned that our offices were close to the school, he started showing up there when he gets out. Sometimes, he even shows up at my house. But, he’s such a hand full, that as a sixth grader he’s been switched to half days at school. But this kid, in my life, is “the woman caught in adultery.” I get to see him the way I assume Jesus saw the woman in the story, as one of His. Below the surface, in all the interactions I get to have with him, I’ve learned to look deeper into his story:
- Gangs in the family
- Absent father
- Distant mother
- No place to turn to
Through coaching him I get to see even more. I get to see how he shuts down sometimes, how he acts out when he feels like a failure, how he starts to cry when he’s hurt, how his emotions completely dictate how he responds to things. I get to see him past his outward appearance. I get to see what makes this kid laugh. I get to see how he’s actually just an innocent kid who wants to be a kid. I get to see how his whole mannerism changes when he is loved or simply given a hug even when he’s mad. I get to see this kid for more than what is perceived of him.
Through this kid I get to see more of Jesus. I get to see how merciful, graceful and understanding Jesus is.
Why love the unlovable?
I am now getting to see why Jesus did what he did with the woman caught in adultery. I am also getting to feel what Jesus felt towards the religious leaders who dragged the woman there. As I get to be around the same adults who roll their eyes when they see him, I find myself caught in between. On one hand I totally get why they get upset at him. On the other hand, I think I hear myself screaming to them “Do you see what I see!” Jesus loves this kid and just like the woman caught in adultery he sees him and is merciful and understanding. I want to be more like Jesus. I want to continue to see this kid the way that Jesus does. I want to learn to see this kid with the mind of Christ, and every human that Jesus died for.
Giving Life to The Stories of Teens
I recognize that the only way I can see like Jesus is if He opens my eyes and gives me the opportunities to do so. This sixth grader who is the bad kid who no one wants to deal with is my opportunity to Give Life. He's the woman caught in adultery. Everyone has an opportunity to see like Jesus if we actually took the opportunities to do so. To go out and love the unlovable and enter into relationship with the very ones the world is trying to throw away. - Josh