At the tail end of the summer, an often-repeated picture was meaningful to me. It involved the continual overstepping of what was desirable for our children at bedtime. The ideal was ending each hot day at a good bedtime, teeth brushed, showered and calm at heart. But the exception became the norm with late night picnics, bq’s, sports, celebrations, and events. It was often gritty, dusty, sweaty, unshowered, exhausted bodies hitting the clean sheets. Still the ideal was desired.

I long to come to Jesus in the ideal: worthy, pleased with my deeds, actions and reactions. Instead I find I come having to face the gap. It is only unworthiness asking for His worth, like the grimy hands of a beggar landing upon the white porcelain vase.

What type of person will accept worth upon pure unworth again and again so easily? One lady said she would give help to the needy, but resisted those who would ask “too easily,” as if there was no longer any effort being made to get out from under need. I am not happy about my unworth, but yet I still need even more to have His cleanness laid upon my grime.

Idealism can prohibit grace and make the gap seem uncrossable by imposing habitually-unreached standards. What is there left to do? Lie still. Accept the clean blanket of Christ’s worth that He mercifully lays upon that late-night, smudged, summer body.
 

   receive (dechomai)-a ready and deliberate reception (Vine’s)

In our growing town, there are many opportunities for fresh church plants as they eagerly knock on doors.

These ones who come to our doors do not only go out with words, but in their whole person. Will they be received? their image, presence, personality as they encounter people cold turkey? Or is this even important?

“Whoever shall not receive you NOR hear your words…” (Mt 10:14). There was a reception for Christ’s sent-out disciples that involved “receiving you” and “your words.” It is interesting that “your words” (logos) meant “expression of thought” of the disciple. The expression was involved, the way the disciple expressed.

In the book “Ministry of the Word,” the writer explains the formation of a Godly character, going through dealings under God’s hand. When does the “word become flesh” in a person? Over the molding process of the living God, one’s personality: inflections, humor, and ways can be a part of the ministry of the Word spoken. This is involved in the reception.

So this is about receiving one another in this Kingdom of Christ! As each is received, it seems it is a ministry of Christ Himself. The receptive “will in no wise lose their reward” (Mt 10:41). This is awesome!

“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. AND WHO IS EQUAL TO SUCH A TASK?” (2 Cor 2:15-16).
 
“he that receives you, receives Me.”
(Luke 18:1) 
 

Entrusting to Jesus…entrusting anything of value to Jesus. Somehow we deceive ourselves into thinking that if we do this we are in fact throwing it away. Instead we tend to walk through life continually “pierced with many griefs” (1 Tim 6:10).If we evaluate the thing of very most value we could say it would be ANY part of God, His love, power, mercy, mystery, wisdom, etc. If we were to think of something of incomprehensible value it would be the FULLNESS of God. From there, if we were to think of such a risky proposition as to defy reason amd shut down the whole universe it would be God committing ALL His fullness into one particular area.