The WayUzorak

Exploring the Way

An Invitation and the Treasure

In the last lesson, you looked at two different ways people discover spiritual treasure according to Jesus. Some people spend their whole life looking for it while others simply stumble across it. One is based on curiosity and determination while the other seems more random or by chance. This is a good description of what many experience as they explore Jesus’ life, teachings, and claims. But Jesus later teaches that there is another force working in the background. A force we don’t often recognize or even sense.

John 6:44a says that God the Father “draws” people to Jesus. What we often interpret as our own curiosity could be God pulling our attention toward Jesus. What we see as a chance happening may be a carefully planned encounter by the Father.

It’s odd for us to believe that God actually pursues us rather than the other way around. Many of us don’t feel like we are worth pursuing. And yet you are here exactly because God invited you to be. What do we make of this invitation? What exactly is God inviting us to see, hear, or believe about Jesus? Here is one explanation of Jesus’ “gospel” (the good news).

Romans 3:22-25a explains it well. We are set free from the brokenness and consequences of sin through faith in Jesus. There is no greater treasure known to man than to be restored by God back into His design to become who we were truly made to be. We’ll spend some time unpacking this in the next few days. Until then, try asking God (in your own words if you prefer) to help you know if what you have read and seen is true.

Prayer:
“God, if You are inviting me to believe something about Jesus, help me to understand what it is and how to respond to it. Amen.”