Love Jumps The Barricade

I went for a big bike ride yesterday on the Cedar River Trail.

Part of the trail was closed down, so for a short distance, we were diverted to the highway.

For a while, I was able to ride inside the barricades. Eventually, there wasn’t enough of a shoulder anymore, and I had to ride outside the barricades—close to traffic.

It was pretty sketchy. I was nervous, concerned for my safety.

Boundaries and barricades keep us feeling safe.

We like the idea of strong lines drawn… “We’re in here, safe and sound—they’re out there, where they belong.”

Love, on the other hand, redraws the lines. It jumps the barricade and breaks through boundaries.

In Jesus’ day, lepers were separated from the rest of society.

They were outcasts and labeled “unclean.”

People were more afraid of getting what lepers had and less concerned about the needs of the lepers.

But Jesus broke through the boundary; He crossed a strong line that had been drawn.

In one of the villages, He met a man with an advanced case of leprosy.

When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

Jesus reached out and touched him.

“I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. (Luke 5.12, 13)

Jesus reached out and touched the man even though he was unclean.

That’s what love does… it reaches across boundaries.

Love jumps the barricade.

When the love of God and the “unclean” collide, love always wins.

We need to be less afraid of people and more full of the love of God for people!

Enlarge your circle of love…

Break through boundaries.

Jump the barricade.

Love. People. Period.

One more thought:

Often our greatest impact is with those outside our circles (those who are older, younger, richer, poorer, from a different ethnic background, etc.).

When I think about people who took a chance on me and really made a difference in my life—the majority of them were not just like me.

Honestly, we already know what our friends think.

We’ve come to expect their encouragement and compliments.

When a compliment or encouragement comes from an unexpected source, it has greater impact.

We need to jump the barricade and break out of our circles.

Know this…

when you break out of your comfort zone,

when you do something to bless, encourage, help, or build-up someone who is NOT like you,

the impact is significant.