Jesus When the Church HurtsSample

“You Win Some, You Lose Some” became “You Win Some, You Lose None” somewhere along the line of history when the women’s basketball team at the University of South Carolina had an undefeated record. The first: a reminder that winning is as fleeting as losing - the truth that all of us in this world will have trouble and triumph (not far off from John 16:33). The second: came from a graphic (that then became a t-shirt, a poster, and a million other items) boasting the “gamecocks” success in their season - and it quickly became the phrase of the year. But, “You Win Some, You Lose None” could also be a nod to the lessons that we face in life - that no loss is truly a loss if we learn something from it.

But what happens when it feels like you just can’t win? When the odds are stacked against you and nothing is working out? What then?

The reality is that we have a God who can empathize with us, as Hebrews 4:15 reminds us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Our God understands what it feels like to be in battle every day. He knows what it feels like to be up against the religious elites and the enemies of this world. And he knows what it feels like to be in a situation where you can’t please everyone. In fact, he told crowds in Galilee, “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

John couldn’t win with the religious elites. They called him demonic. Jesus couldn’t win with the religious elites. They called him a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of the most lowly in society. So why do we, mere sinners thousands of years later, believe that we will gain the approval of every church member? Every religious folk? Why do we believe that we will “win” these superficial battles if Jesus didn’t while here on earth?

But, don't misunderstand us. While Jesus may not have “won” by human measures while here on earth, He won the hearts of His chosen people - those whom He loved deeply. And more than that, He won the battle. He overcame death. Hell has been defeated. No longer will we die to our sin and shame - instead, we are washed clean by His blood and the foot of the cross.

This is the reality of our Christian walk. This is the reality of our experience in messy, broken, and beloved churches. This is the reality of a life walking out the greatest commandment - to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, and soul (Matthew 22:36-40). He is the template for us to follow.

The name of this devotional, on which we have spent 3 days together, is “Jesus When The Church Hurts.” With this in mind: Jesus loves the church, His bride, and yet He is grieved by her failures and flaws. When the Church hurts us by criticizing us without knowing our hearts first, we find ourselves like Jesus. When the Church hurts us by assuming they know our motives without asking, we find ourselves like Jesus. When the Church hurts us by criticizing us more for what we didn’t do than for what we did do, we find ourselves like Jesus.

Breathe deep. You are in good company with the King of Kings.