5 Times Jesus Encourages You to “Come as You Are”

Luke 7:36-50

When Jesus visited the home of a Pharisee named Simon to dine, a scandalous scene occurred. A woman – known by the guests as a “sinner” – entered and wet Jesus’ feet with her tears before wiping them with her hair and anointing them with oil (Luke 7:37-38). Here was a notorious woman touching the renowned Rabbi’s feet. Yet, He never scolded her or recoiled in disgust.

He accepted the woman and welcomed her with love.

The person who was in the wrong in this situation was Simon, who judged the woman for her sins without recognizing his own guilt in the presence of the perfect Messiah. Because the woman had been forgiven much, she loved much, as expressed in her actions toward Jesus (Luke 7:47). She came before the Lord with the messy mixture of her brokenness and faith, and He welcomed her.

The compassion and gentleness Jesus showed this woman is the same reaction we can receive today. We do not have to pretend to be someone we are not or try to hide our guilt. Instead, Jesus bids us come to Him and receive the gift of His fellowship. He did not turn away the woman who wiped his feet with her hair, and neither will He send us away.

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Matthew 11:28-30

The greatest invitation to “come as you are” occurred shortly after Jesus pronounced woes on the cities where he had performed miracles (Matthew 11:20-24). Places like Capernaum and Bethsaida had seen the wonders He had performed yet had not believed. He contrasted these cities with others that had traditionally poor reputations, such as Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom. If they had seen what Jesus had done during their day, they would have repented.

This contrast provides the backdrop to Jesus’ call for the weary and burdened to come to Him. As Jesus said in His prayer to the Father: “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children” (Matthew 11:25). The childlike were the ones who were responding to Him, who simply approached Jesus as a child would a parent. Thus, our Lord invited them to come and find rest (Matthew 11:28).

Some may have developed the idea that Christianity is only for certain types of people, like those who have their lives in order or can manage the difficulties thrown at them. Yet, our Lord’s invitation cuts through these assumptions. He is calling us even as we are bowed down with burdens and tired from our efforts at striving. The life He invites us into is not one of rule-keeping, but of the joy and freedom of walking with Him. We find rest in the gentle yoke of serving our Savior (Matthew 11:29).

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Luke 19:1-10

Bystanders gossiped when they saw that Jesus was going to stay with Zacchaeus, the tax collector. They told each other, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner” (Luke 19:7). But Zacchaeus did not pay any attention to their murmuring. He had climbed the fig tree to catch a glimpse of this man named Jesus, about whom he had heard so much. And now the Lord was staying at his house!

Here was a man who was better known for accumulating wealth than what he did with it. Yet Jesus extended an offer of fellowship with the man, giving Zacchaeus the privilege of housing Him as a guest. He did not ask that the tax collector change or repent before their meeting – that came after Zacchaeus had spent time with the Lord.

As Jesus did for Zacchaeus, He does for us today. Instead of expecting perfection, He welcomes us where we are, meeting us at our proverbial fig tree. Whether that is our questions or hardships, Jesus comes to us and offers the gift of fellowship. For He came like a shepherd to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). The Lord patiently meets the wandering sheep and leads them to Himself, the Good Shepherd who gave His life to save us (John 10:11).

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Luke 5:27-32

As seen from the example of Zacchaeus, tax collectors had a poor reputation in the ancient world. People regarded them with suspicion and disdain, even using the term “tax collector” as a byword for the worst of society. Yet, repeatedly, we see Jesus challenging this social bias.

He called Levi, a tax collector, to follow Him. One moment Levi was sitting at his booth, the next he was following the Lord as a disciple (Luke 5:27-28). He went on to become a member of the twelve Apostles and writer of the Gospel of Matthew (Levi was also known by his Greek name, Matthew).

Wanting to honor the Lord and tell his friends about Jesus, Levi hosted a banquet (see Luke 5:29). The other guests present, unsurprisingly, were more tax collectors and those who were looked down upon in society. When the Pharisees saw the company Jesus kept, they responded in disgust. They asked the other disciples of Jesus: “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 5:30).

Our Lord’s reply encapsulated His mission for coming into the world (Luke 5:31-32). He had not come to rescue those who did not recognize their need, believing themselves to be righteous already. The Pharisees and scribes fell into this group because they perceived themselves as better than others and not in need to spiritual cleansing. Jesus addressed the core of the issue: He had come like a physician to heal the sick.

We find this truth throughout the gospel accounts. Consistently, the marginalized, the poor, and the outcasts were the ones who came to Jesus to not only be healed of mind and body, but to be healed of soul. And He never turned them away. Hence, Jesus told the Pharisees at another time: “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Matthew 21:31).

Whether we align more with Levi and his friends in this story, or the Pharisees, the invitation remains the same. Set aside doubts of worthiness or any thought of self-presumption. We do not have to pretend that we have all the answers. The Savior is waiting and He calls: “Follow me.”

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John 7:37

The greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles had arrived. Water and light rituals took place throughout the week as Israelites dwelt in booths made of branches to remember their sojourn in the wilderness. According to Jewish tradition, prayers for rain were often made towards the end of Sukkot, seeking another year of harvest alongside a recognition of human limitation.

On that day, Jesus stood among the people and called out like Wisdom did in the Book of Proverbs (Proverbs 1:20). He gave the invitation: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:37-38).

Though rain and water will come and go, the gift He offered was “living water” just as He had offered to the Samaritan woman (John 4:10, 13-14). Nothing causes this water to dry up or disappear. Instead, the living water is an image of the Spirit He would send at Pentecost after His ascension (John 7:39; Acts 2:2-4). Those who were spiritually thirsty could come to Him and receive refreshment. As He had declared in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

And like the image of Wisdom calling out in the streets, speaking to everyone who will listen, Jesus’ invitation applies to all. He was not only inviting the people of that time, but also us today. He asks us to come as we are and receive the gift of His indwelling Spirit. All are saved by the same Lord and through the same means of trusting in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Likewise, all receive the same Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4).

The Lord is not carefully guarding His gifts to share with only select individuals – the gifts of salvation, new birth, and living water are for anyone who comes to Him. We need only step into the loving presence of His grace. Our Lord says, “come to me.” He waits to receive us.

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