“The unwounded life bears no resemblance to the Rabbi.” - Brennan Manning

“I feel like I’m just not worth it.” She said to me. 50 years old, fresh off of meth, clawing her way into the kingdom of God, she spoke the same lie that so many people believe: we’re just not worth it.

“You’re so worth it. Jesus doesn’t just love you. He loved you to death and back again.”  I watched her whole face light up when I added that He also invites her to work along side Him.

It’s easy to look around our culture and see wealthy, loud, powerful people. It’s easy to assume that such power is the definition of worth— that it is a force to expand the Kingdom of God. But Jesus chose something different. He didn’t slide into positions of authority. He walked in the authority He already had. He didn’t come in with a sword swinging. He didn’t lord His power over people. He touched the untouchables. He healed the sick, he made Himself unclean to cleanse others. He didn’t sit with the powerful or the super religious or the people who had it all together. 

Instead, He sat with the outcast.

He saw those on the sidelines of society... those who were beaten and bruised and broken down, and He said, “You. I want you, and that’s a declaration I’ll take to the grave.” 

And if you think that Jesus is ministering in any other way now than He was two thousand years ago, you’re likely to miss Him just like so many people missed Him when He was right in front of them.

This is the Good News: That Jesus is here to build an empire. But not an empire of worldly power. It’s not an empire of self or religion or political sway. He’s here to build an empire of ragtag people who are willing to meet Him in their mess, and He’s inviting us to join Him.

We join Him in the streets. We join Him at the table with the broken and poor. We join Him in reckless humility. We join Him in His power and His suffering. To join Him here is to join Him in His purpose, His glory... His Kingdom.