Jesus doesn't come asking if He can hang out with us. He commands us to follow Him. He has total authority and will settle for nothing less; He won't settle for being an accessory, an add- on, or a peaceful accompaniment to a nice life. No, He will rule and He will meddle.

Jesus doesn't adjust to us, and He doesn't submit to our whims. We adjust to Jesus and submit to Him. Jesus is King, not an accessory.

To accept Jesus is to accept His total authority in your life.

His self-righteousness has prevented him from enjoying the grace all around him.

Each of us ought to be so happy that Jesus found us and saved us, that we are running to find the next person who needs to be introduced to Him. That's what church is, a community of rescued people celebrating grace, eager to spread the good news of grace and bring other people to the party.

What could be more encouraging than realizing that Jesus calls the unqualified?

Whether through an outwardly prideful life of breaking the rules or an inwardly prideful life of keeping the rules, we are people who have sought to avoid Jesus and run our own lives.

Our relationship with Jesus is based on grace- on the unexpected, undeserved, counterintuitive love of God.

Jesus offers undeserved love, a love we don't deserve and can therefore never lose.

There is grace for the unrighteous and the self-righteous alike, and the father loves both sons well.