The love of Jesus is scandalous. It breaks social norms, crosses boundaries, and transforms lives in ways that shock and surprise us. Jesus' welcome was wide (and radical). He didn't wait for Zacchaeus to change before welcoming him. Our church needs to learn to see beyond the labels and join this wide welcome of Jesus. Jesus' actions scandalized the religious communities of His day and will scandalize our faith if we learn to move beyond our comfort zones and preconceptions. Jesus' love isn't scandalous for the sake of being scandalous, but because it has the power to transform us and our community.
