Looking for Jesus

"When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?' On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'"
Matthew 9:11-13

The Bible tells us that in the last days, many will claim to know where Jesus is. They will say, "He is over there." or, "There he is in that church!" Even though many people reject the reality of Jesus, all are looking for him. The desire to see him has been placed in every heart by God himself. You and I have the desire to see him. We long for his appearing. We want to see him come and remove us from this world with a display of power and authority. We may even want to say to the doubters, "I told you so," under our breath. But I wonder if we are looking for Jesus in the right places.
    When Jesus walked the earth, he spent much less time in church than he did in the secular world. He was ridiculed for this. The religious people thought it was terrible that he would associate with 'sinners.' He spent much more time with them than he did with those who were deemed 'righteous.' Virtually all his miracles and healings took place outside the temples. He touched those who followed him, those he met on the streets, and those who lived normal, everyday, run-of-the-mill lives. He came to the world to set us all free, and he quite literally lived his life in the world.
    If we are looking for the manifestation of Jesus in the church, perhaps we should rethink. It is not the healthy who need the doctor. I think we sometimes look at churches as shelters, a place of refuge from the world. Surely Jesus is there to lift us up, refuel us, and relieve our pain. Of course he is there. He is present because each of us bring him in when we walk through the door. He lives in us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. But he is also working in the world. He is manifesting his presence all over the world, not just in the church.
    Jesus can be found anywhere you look. He is in the work place, the schools, movie theaters, clubs and bars, sporting events, political meetings, concerts, and homes. Anywhere people are, Jesus can be found. He wants to heal the sick, both spiritually and physically. He wants to redeem those who have yet to receive him. Most of the time, these people are not found in the church. They are found in all the places already mentioned. When we are there, we are bringing Jesus with us. His presence is then found in places we would never think possible. Many more people come to the saving grace of Jesus outside the walls of the church than inside them. So we must adjust where we are looking for him. Just think how powerful it would be if we took Jesus to worldly places. What if we decided to look for him there? His attention is on those who need him the most and they are found in the most unlikely of places. When we begin to think like Jesus, we may find ourselves in those places as well. I'm not suggesting that we compromise our convictions. I believe we won't be tempted to partake of the sin found there, because we are empowered by God to carry our crosses to them, just as Jesus has. Make a decision to look for Jesus to be manifested outside the church. I'm sure you will find him if you look.