John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone else driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”
“Do not stop him,” Jesus replied. “For no one who performs a miracle in My name can turn around and speak evil of Me. For whoever is not against us is for us.--- Mark 9:38, 39 (BSB).
Image generated with the assistance of Microsoft copilot
There he was, sulking like a spoiled child. Jonah, the prophet of Nineveh, sitting in the shade, bewildered at the extent of God’s mercy. Though he was called to deliver God’s message, Jonah seemed to believe that Israel held exclusive rights to Divine favour. God’s compassion, in Jonah’s mind, was limited by borders and membership—far from available to a foreign and ‘undeserving’ city like Nineveh. But God didn’t see it that way, and the story of Jonah reminds us just how much bigger God’s love is than our narrow perspectives. Today, we might ask ourselves a similar question: Have we convinced ourselves that our specific group has exclusive access to God’s Favour?
Jonah’s struggle is our struggle, especially when we forget that God’s love has always reached beyond any group, church, or denomination. The truth is that God’s compassion is universal, transcending boundaries we might set. Jonah's sulking reveals the frustration some may feel when they see God working outside their expected parameters. Yet, God’s response is simple: “So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh?” (Jonah 4:11). We, too, might ask ourselves whether our ideas of belonging in God’s family are generous enough.
Some Christians today have found their faith thriving outside the boundaries of traditional institutions, embracing a relationship with God that’s rich and personal, even without the formal structure of a religious group. They have experienced transformation and peace in the quiet of their hearts. Just as Cornelius, a Gentile, received God’s Spirit before baptism into the faith (Acts 10:44-48), these modern believers remind us that God’s Spirit moves freely, beyond the limitations of organizational membership. Jesus himself highlighted this in John 4:23-24 God’s approval, we see, has more to do with a sincere, heartfelt relationship than a place on any formal registry.
Religious institutions often serve to guide, teach, and support, but sometimes their policies or doctrines create an unintended exclusivity that clouds the gospel’s open invitation. Christianity, when it truly follows Christ’s message, is an open call to God’s love, which is extended universally. As soon as we forget this, we risk becoming a reflection of the Pharisees Jesus warned about in Matthew 23:13, who locked the door of the Kingdom in others' faces with their rigid rules. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus further challenged his listeners to look beyond their own groups. The Samaritan—an outsider to the Jewish religious world—is lifted up as an example of mercy, while religious figures were conspicuously absent in compassion. Jesus reminded them, and us, that God’s favour doesn’t have an exclusive membership.
Today, God’s love is just as present among people who never set foot in a church as it is within those who do. Some seekers may be quietly studying, praying, or reflecting, drawn to God in ways that formal structures cannot measure or regulate. Take, for example, individuals in places where Christianity is restricted or those who feel isolated from religious institutions for personal reasons. Many of them, like Jonah’s Ninevites, have felt God’s mercy in ways that cannot be defined by institutional belonging. Psalm 145:18 tells us, “Yahweh is near to all those who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” (WEB). It doesn’t mention being part of a certain group; it speaks of God’s closeness to all who reach out sincerely.
When we place conditions on God’s mercy, implying it’s reserved only for those within our specific group, we limit the very essence of God. God’s love is not confined to human-made structures but is poured out freely to any heart that seeks Him. Jonah was asked to realize this, as were the Pharisees, and we, too, are reminded to do the same today. God is not partial; His mercy extends to the whole world, embracing anyone who seeks Him with a sincere heart.
If you’ve felt God’s love in ways that are outside of an established religion, know that you are not alone. God hears those who worship Him in truth and sincerity, wherever they may be. If you’d like to discuss this more personally, please reach out: when2aregathered@proton.me
Faith can indeed flourish in ways unregulated by human organizations yet cherished by God. Together, let’s strive to follow a faith rooted in God’s expansive love, rather than our own limited ideas of belonging.