It has been said that, “you are who you surround yourself with.” In other words, who you are is influenced by the people in your life. Or some might say, who you hang out with says a great deal about who you are. Some people take this as a call to action to curate their circles of influence and surround themselves with people who can lead them to be the people they aspire to become. Others look at this as a way of judging people for the company they keep.
With all of these interpretations in mind, what conclusions would you draw from the people Jesus surrounded himself with? Some might expect him to surround himself with people of influence and prestige, but those who are familiar with the gospel narratives about his life know that this isn’t the case. In fact the reality is quite the opposite. Jesus surrounded himself with the multitudes, the common folk, the people who needed God most: farmers, prostitutes, tax collectors, those who were sick, handicapped, or ritually unclean.
What do Jesus’ relationships tell us about the priorities of God and the outreach of the ministry? Who ought we be reaching out to and associating with? Join us for worship this Sunday at 10 a.m. online or in person as we uncover the life that is to be discovered with Jesus and the Multitudes.
