God is Approachable

God accepts people whom others do not. We see this in the way Jesus accepted the unacceptable.

What does the Bible say about God being approachable? -

1. Jesus and God - John 12:44-45
2. Approached by unacceptable - Luke 7:36-48
3. Approachable when busy - Luke 8:41-48
4. Approachable when tired - Mark 6:31-36

Jesus and God

John 12:44-45
Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.

Questions for reflection or discussion

1. What relationship did Jesus see between himself and God?
2. What do you know of Jesus and how approachable he was?

Thoughts to consider

Approachability is best observed by how a person relates. So, this page will draw out how Jesus related and from that we gather how approachable God is.

Approached by unacceptable

Luke 7:36-48

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”

Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”
“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.

Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

“That’s right,” Jesus said. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.

“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Questions for reflection or discussion

1. Why was the woman considered an outsider in her society?
2. At what personal cost did Jesus accept the woman?
3. What confidence can you have that the Lord will receive anyone who comes to him?

Thoughts to consider

Jesus was willing to look beyond appearances and reputation to receive someone written off because of her lifestyle. In the same way, God receives all people who come to him.

Approachable when busy

Luke 8:41-48

Then a man named Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come home with him. His only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying.
As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds. A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.

“Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.”
But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

Questions for reflection or discussion

1. What advantage would Jesus have gained by giving the synagogue leader undivided attention?
2. Why do you think Jesus was willing to be interrupted given the urgency?
3. How do you think the Lord responds when you interrupt him?

Thoughts to consider

God values each one of us and is willing to give us undivided attention, no matter the circumstances.

Approachable when tired

Mark 6:31-36

Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.”

Questions for reflection or discussion

1. What physical and emotional state were Jesus and the disciples in?
2. What was Jesus’ motivation for spending time with them and caring for them?
3. How did Jesus respond to the people who came to him and interrupted his plan?

Thoughts to consider

Every act of ministry costs. This might be physical or emotional or financial, but it costs. Nevertheless, God is willing to love us and care for us, no matter the cost.

Overview question for reflection or discussion

1. Why would we question whether the infinite God has time or energy for us?
2. How can God, who is perfect, approach anybody who is less than perfect?

Thoughts to consider

Jesus had an amazing way of treating people with kindness and respect. The way we discover how Jesus treats us, is to begin a journey of prayerful Bible reading, maybe recording your thoughts and then looking back over a month or so and seeing the kind of issues that have been coming up. Then you can see how God has been approachable for you personally.

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