Just like the guy laying in the ditch strung out on drugs, who may not know or have a relationship with Jesus…so do we find the same situation of some religious people sitting on the pews at church each Sunday.

We want to fight and defend and go straight over to the physically broken, visually apparent lost man on the street corner holding the brown paper bag.

But what about these pew dwellers?

What about the ones that sit in the pew every Sunday… looking, maybe even thinking they have it all together, yet they are just as lost, confused and blinded as the other guys.

They too often do not know what to do with their brokenness.

These are just as broken, just as scarred, wounded and suffering in their soul.

But we want to scream at them.

Especially those of us who were really deeply hurt by them.

We yell at them accusations because they aren’t getting it right, reading it right, teaching it right… maybe they can’t get beyond their pain, their hurt, to go help the homeless population, to feed the poor. They just stick with their crew, their circle, their comfort, their safe.

Can we see what Jesus is trying to say to them? Can we see beyond the layers and layers of front and façade?

Apparently not, but Jesus sure does.

Jesus loved the Pharisees, the sadducees, the religious of His day. It was the blinders He hated, the veil that kept His real identity from being revealed to them… and I believe that just as much as Jesus grieves the addicted, He grieves for the pew-dweller… because I was one of them.

Just because the brokenness of the souls on the pews and even behind some pulpits looks different than those outside of the street, does not mean it doesn’t grieve the heart of God just the same.

Church people need God’s help, too.

And both the pew dweller and the ditch dweller both have the same choice at the end of the day… to look up, to JESUS.

The only finger I am able to point is up.

He paid it all. I’m His, He’s mine, and I will spend my time growing and going with Him.

Deeper, farther, wider…

Truth is,

Deception targets not just some of us, deception hits us all.

**in order to speak to every circumstance, every situation, every scenario at one time, would be impossible. I know there are false prophets and diabolical influences within some churches, and I know that the guy in the ditch may just want to stay there, and I know that some simply reject the truth of the gospel. But we must present a balanced equal love of God to ALL men. Even those that we don’t seem to see fruit. You never know when you may be the one to cast the first seed that God sets to return 100 fold.**