A Hill Worth Dying On

I pastored a woman who'd had a rough life.  Lots of childhood trauma. She’d been abused as a child.  She’d lived on the street.  She had drug issues and she had alcohol issues.  She was a member of an ethnic group that some people stereotype and judge. 

Read Luke 7:36-50

Jesus reaches across social barriers to the outsiders.  In the passage, this woman, this “sinner” in Luke’s story has quite a reputation in town.  she's got a reputation and people have her pegged. 

Ever feel like people have you pegged?  Or would like to think they do?  As if your past defines your present, and so determines your future?  

Clearly, this woman has not learned her manners.  She crashes the party, and this at a religious leader's house for goodness’ sake.  She lets down her hair: disgraceful in that culture.  The shame. She kisses Jesus’ feet: way too intimate.  How embarrassing.  She has bad manners. She does not know her place, which is far from this group, I can tell you that.  She has no sense of stewardship: this much perfume would cost a year’s wages. Spendthrift. 

Don’t you hate it when the example you should follow involves people you’re offended by?  Jesus specialized in turning things on their head.  

This woman lives each day, not only with a sense of her personal guilt, but the collected, projected condemnation of the more “righteous” people around her.  But that doesn’t stop her.  she's going to break out of this. 

She crashes the party, throws aside social mores and is compelled by her love for Jesus to embarrass herself yet again.  What did she have to lose? 

Come to think of it, what do you have to lose?  Is it really that much? 

In my case, I took a stand for that woman.  It cost me my career.  And last I heard she’s not even much different today, no transformed life.  No vindication. But it was an honour just the same.  I have no regrets and I’d do it over again.  Some hills are worth dying on. 

Is there someone marginal in your life?  Someone Jesus would reach out to through you?  Or have you so insulated yourself from people like her that the chance of ever crossing paths is safely not an issue?  

And who do you resemble in this story?  Christ?  The woman?  The religious leaders?  Who?  Seriously. 

Jesus accepts and forgives this woman – and he can forgive us too. Your past does not define you. 

So... who do you need to stand with?  What hill in your world is worth dying on?  

The Wrong Kind of People

A friend of mine isn’t much into church these days.  He’s behaved himself into destructively life-altering situations.  He doesn’t think church people have ever been as bad as he has.  He’s also seen first-hand the hypocrisy of church people who hide behind their pretty faces while destroying each other’s lives or otherwise act reprehensibly.  He doesn’t see the irony, yet. 

Check out Luke 5:27-32

My friend is like the tax collector, without the money.  Tax collectors like Levi (later to be called Matthew and believed to be the author of the gospel bearing his name) were not just unpopular; they were despised. 

The Romans gave taxing rights to the highest bidder.  The highest bidder would pay Caesar the amount he bid, then charge the people to cover the bid, his expenses, and to make a profit.  There was no tax rate.  It was completely unregulated.  The Talmud referred to tax collectors as robbers.  It’s why John the Baptist told tax collectors to collect no more than they should.  The typical Jew at the time despised tax collectors, not only for their greed and reputation for dishonesty, but for their collaboration with the Roman occupiers. 

The church is the only fellowship in the world where the one requirement for membership is the unworthiness of the candidate. 

Robert Munger

Jesus’ intentional affinity for exactly the wrong kind of people is striking when you consider the gulf between the churched and the unchurched today.  Tax collectors, prostitutes, shepherds, woman… no wonder Levi throws a huge party at his home, and invites all of his religious-establishment-reject friends.  And who else is there?  Jesus. 

The Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

My friend doesn’t realize it yet, but he’s the salt of the earth.  And so are you.