Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It is a day set aside to honor a man who gave his life to non-violent protest against the discrimination of African Americans specifically and minority races in general. The 1960’s were a turbulent time where racial hatred permeated the American landscape, and sadly the American church. Not only were communities, schools, restaurants, and buses segregated but churches were as well. Even today Sunday morning is one of the most segregated times in America. We have come a long way since the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. but the feelings of racial divide can still run deep. Not every business or community celebrates the day equally, because for some it is merely a “Black” holiday and a frivolous way to spend the day. The heart is slow to change and discrimination and fear are hard to dislodge. We may not feel discrimination against blacks so prominently today but what about Arabs, Asians, Hispanics, or the French.
The greatest of all reformers wasn’t Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, or Rev. Tutu. For though they marched against injustice and won great victories, they could not change the heart. All they could do was change the moment. The heart will always default to self-protection and fear unless it is changed, and that change has to be radical.
God is in the business of changing hearts, and He promised to give us a new one (Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26). But heart change doesn’t come without a price tag. Sin has so corrupted our hearts that only major heart replacement can eradicate the problem. When God became flesh, in the person of Jesus, He did so for one purpose only—to take on himself the penalty of sin. Sin requires punishment from a just and holy God. Yet, God is also merciful, loving, gracious, and forgiving. Therefore, Jesus, God in the flesh, bore God’s wrath so we, who believe, would not have to endure God’s judgment. When we accept by faith God’s gift through Jesus we are filled with the Spirit and given a new heart. This new heart sees the world and people in a different way.
The Apostle Paul wrote this, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3:26-29).
Jesus is the greatest civil rights activist the world will ever know because he has not changed just the moment but hearts for eternity. As believers in Jesus we are to carry this heart-changing message to all races, all genders, all socio-economic classes. Jesus levels the playing field because in him there is no difference in our standing before God. We are not to be arrogant about our “accident” of birth but reach out in love that we might all come together with one heart to give honor and glory to God through Jesus Christ.
I’m Just Saying….
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