Church Should Be a Hospital, Not a Masquerade. Somewhere along the way, we started treating church like a performance rather than a place of healing. We started dressing up our brokenness instead of bringing it to Jesus. We got really good at saying “I’m fine” when we’re not. We convinced ourselves that if we’re struggling, we need to push it down, put on a smile, and pretend everything is okay. But that is not church. That is not what Jesus intended.
Church is supposed to be a hospital for the sick, not a museum for the self-righteous. The moment we turn the sanctuary into a stage for perfection, we have lost the very heart of the gospel.
Jesus said in Matthew 9:12-13, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick… For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
So why do we act like we have to be whole before we can walk through the doors?
What If We Were Honest?
Imagine if, instead of brushing past people with shallow greetings, we actually asked, “How are you really?” And imagine if we allowed space for the truth to be spoken.
What if someone walked into church and said:
“I’m addicted, and I don’t know how to stop.”
“I’m battling depression, and I don’t feel God anymore.”
“My marriage is falling apart, and I don’t know what to do.”
“I don’t know if I even believe in Jesus anymore.”
Would we love them? Would we walk with them? Or would we look away, too uncomfortable to deal with their reality?
Jesus met people in their mess. He sat with the outcasts, touched the lepers, and dined with sinners. He didn’t wait for people to clean up their act before offering them grace. So why do we?
Stop Checking the Church Box
For too many of us, church has become a ritual. We show up on Sundays, sing the songs, hear the sermon, and leave unchanged. We check “church” off our list like we’re fulfilling an obligation.
But let me tell you something: You didn’t “see” Jesus just because you sat in a pew.
If you walk out of church and your heart is still hardened, you didn’t meet Jesus.
If you treat worship like a concert instead of surrender, you didn’t meet Jesus.
If you ignore the person sitting next to you who is clearly hurting, you didn’t meet Jesus.
Jesus is not impressed with attendance records. He’s after transformation. He’s after authenticity.
Ask People Their Story
One of the most dangerous things we can do is assume someone is okay just because they look okay. You don’t know the battles people are fighting. You don’t know what it took for someone to walk through those church doors.
Before you write someone off, ask them, “What’s your story?”
That addict you judged? Maybe he’s been clean for a week, and this is the first time he’s had hope in years.
That single mom you whispered about? Maybe she left an abusive relationship, and church is the only safe place she knows.
That person who seems distant? Maybe they’ve been crying out to God, wondering if He even hears them anymore.
Don’t send someone to hell because you were too busy pretending to be holy.
Be the Church, Not a Social Club
If church isn’t a place where people can be real, then what is it? A social club? A gathering of people who have perfected their masks? That is not the church of Jesus Christ.
The early church in Acts was a place where believers “shared everything they had” (Acts 2:44-45). They confessed their sins. They carried each other’s burdens. They did life together.
Somewhere along the way, we lost that. We traded community for comfort. We traded vulnerability for appearances.
But real healing requires real honesty.
So let’s be different. Let’s be a church where the broken don’t have to hide. Let’s be a church where people can say, “I’m not okay”, and know they won’t be met with shame but with grace.
Because that’s exactly what Jesus would do.
