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?