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Page 8 8 Bethany is the place that receives all whom Christ sends. It also receives all who belong to Christ. Any church that welcomes some members of the Body, but rejects others, is not receiving Christ. And any church that welcomes some whom the Lord has sent to His work, while rejecting others, is not receiving Christ. The exception: We do not receive those who work against the mission of Christ which is unity. Those who are sectarian and who wish to “divide and conquer” into their movement, we cannot receive. That is the spirit of divisiveness, and it is anti- Christ (Romans 16:17). Let me articulate a great temptation for house churches today. It is the temptation for us to become cloistered, ingrown, and insular. Bethany receives all whom Christ has received. And they are welcomed. To do otherwise is to say, “Lord, we’ll take your hand and your arm, but we don’t want your foot or your leg.” To be exclusive is to dismember Jesus Christ. Plain and simple. Interestingly, even unbelieving Jews were made to feel welcome in Bethany (John 12:6). Bethany, like the Lord Jesus, is radically inclusive. When Christ is welcomed among a people, He welcomes all who visit that people. There is a welcoming element . . . an inviting ingredient . . . that draws others in. It is the welcoming aroma of Jesus Christ. We welcome Him, and He welcomes all who are His. That is the church. Sadly, I’ve been to many house churches that did not provide an inviting or welcoming atmosphere to their visitors. Instead, they breathed an air of exclusivism and narrowness. Such things betray the spirit of Bethany, and they expose the fact that the Lord has not been fully received. In short, the Lord is looking for a place where He is completely received and fully welcomed. Not Christ plus something else. And not Christ minus a part of Christ. But Christ all and in all. God is looking for a people who will receive Christ as their everything. And that is the church as God would have it. A Closer Look at Mary Let’s go back to our story. Notice where Mary is sitting. She is at the Lord’s feet. This is the posture of a disciple (see Acts 22:3). What is she doing at His feet? She is hearing Him speak. Her gaze is fixed upon Christ. She is listening attentively to His Word. The Twelve are also present, undoubtedly at His feet also. (Verse 38 makes it clear that they were there.)