WHOSE WE ARE
Through Lent, I will be doing a series, "Whose We Are" based on Wesley's Covenant Prayer. Please see an earlier post for the complete prayer.
Matthew 9:9-13 (NRSV)
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
And as he sat at dinner* in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting* with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’
"Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will."
A couple of weeks ago (March 7, 2011), I read a "Non Sequitur" comic strip by Wiley Miller that reminded me of the above scripture. http://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2011/03/07
Pre-teen Danae informs her sister, Kate, that she has started a new organization: the Benevolent Order of Superior Sisterhood (B.O.S.S.) whose mission is to lobby against the scourge of stinky, booger-brained boys. Kate replies, "I think you need to look up the definition of benevolent."
When Jesus called Matthew to be one of his disciples, he saw a man --not a tax collector, employee of the Roman government and collaborator with the enemy, but a human being, a creature of God who bore the stamp of God's very image.
People like Matthew and people who knew they were considered unclean and unworthy because they broke the laws of the Torah knew they were looked down upon by other Jews like the Pharisees. They knew where they weren't welcome, like the temple, and they knew that the religious folks weren't going to be showing up at their houses for dinner any time soon.
Yet, when Jesus went to Matthew's house for dinner showing that people like Matthew, people like them were accepted and loved unconditionally, they came ... a lot of them came.
The Pharisees grumbled in outrage. No loyal and righteous, decent Jew would be found in such company, let alone sit down and eat with "those kinds of people."
And Jesus told them, "I was sent to be with 'those kinds of people.' I think you need to go back to the Word of God and look up the definition of mercy, and take a look at compassion while you're at them." God had been telling his people for centuries that God didn't want their fancy burnt sacrifices but lives that lived out compassionate mercy, seeing people through God's eyes, walking along side them, and, yes, even eating with "those kinds of people."
So here's the scary part, when we pray, "Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will," we're going to end up hanging out with "those kinds of people," people very different from ourselves -- people who look different than us, who have different lifestyles, who don't have the same educational background, who don't make as much money as we do, and who come from a different culture with different values.
I don't know about you, but given my own way, I tend to remain in my comfort zone with people who are like me. Usually when I get too comfortable, God surprises me, sometimes even shocks me, out of my comfy, little world view.
Several years ago, I visited a small United Methodist Church plant on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids. I walked into a church full of "those kinds of people." You know, long hair, beards, torn jeans, biker shirts, doo-rags, tattoos and body piercings. Once I got over my initial discomfort, I realized that there were even some people like me, but most importantly, I felt Christ's love at work.
The founding members of the church felt that they were called there to serve their neighbors who were "those kinds of people." They choose to look beyond the external and see them as human beings, creatures of God who bore the stamp of God's very image. They went out into the area to get to know their neighbors. They started a visitation/caring ministry and a Bible study in the nearby trailer park. For many of their neighbors who didn't feel welcome in a church, they experienced Christ through the love and acceptance of these people.
We Christians carry the living presence of Christ out to the world. We may be the only experience of Christ people have and the only opportunity they have to experience the love of God in action. We are sent out to be with them, walk along side them, and yes, even eat with them.
Where does God want to put us; who does God want to rank us with? Like the Pharisees, what prejudices and judgemental attitudes do we need to turn over to God to be the people God has called us to be?
May God give us Christ's eyes to see each person as one created in God's beautiful image.
May God give us Christ's heart that we might accept and love each person unconditionally.
May God give us Christ's hands and feet that we might be agents of God's mercy and compassion.
Matthew 9:9-13 (NRSV)
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
And as he sat at dinner* in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting* with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’
"Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will."
A couple of weeks ago (March 7, 2011), I read a "Non Sequitur" comic strip by Wiley Miller that reminded me of the above scripture. http://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2011/03/07
Pre-teen Danae informs her sister, Kate, that she has started a new organization: the Benevolent Order of Superior Sisterhood (B.O.S.S.) whose mission is to lobby against the scourge of stinky, booger-brained boys. Kate replies, "I think you need to look up the definition of benevolent."
When Jesus called Matthew to be one of his disciples, he saw a man --not a tax collector, employee of the Roman government and collaborator with the enemy, but a human being, a creature of God who bore the stamp of God's very image.
People like Matthew and people who knew they were considered unclean and unworthy because they broke the laws of the Torah knew they were looked down upon by other Jews like the Pharisees. They knew where they weren't welcome, like the temple, and they knew that the religious folks weren't going to be showing up at their houses for dinner any time soon.
Yet, when Jesus went to Matthew's house for dinner showing that people like Matthew, people like them were accepted and loved unconditionally, they came ... a lot of them came.
The Pharisees grumbled in outrage. No loyal and righteous, decent Jew would be found in such company, let alone sit down and eat with "those kinds of people."
And Jesus told them, "I was sent to be with 'those kinds of people.' I think you need to go back to the Word of God and look up the definition of mercy, and take a look at compassion while you're at them." God had been telling his people for centuries that God didn't want their fancy burnt sacrifices but lives that lived out compassionate mercy, seeing people through God's eyes, walking along side them, and, yes, even eating with "those kinds of people."
So here's the scary part, when we pray, "Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will," we're going to end up hanging out with "those kinds of people," people very different from ourselves -- people who look different than us, who have different lifestyles, who don't have the same educational background, who don't make as much money as we do, and who come from a different culture with different values.
I don't know about you, but given my own way, I tend to remain in my comfort zone with people who are like me. Usually when I get too comfortable, God surprises me, sometimes even shocks me, out of my comfy, little world view.
Several years ago, I visited a small United Methodist Church plant on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids. I walked into a church full of "those kinds of people." You know, long hair, beards, torn jeans, biker shirts, doo-rags, tattoos and body piercings. Once I got over my initial discomfort, I realized that there were even some people like me, but most importantly, I felt Christ's love at work.
The founding members of the church felt that they were called there to serve their neighbors who were "those kinds of people." They choose to look beyond the external and see them as human beings, creatures of God who bore the stamp of God's very image. They went out into the area to get to know their neighbors. They started a visitation/caring ministry and a Bible study in the nearby trailer park. For many of their neighbors who didn't feel welcome in a church, they experienced Christ through the love and acceptance of these people.
We Christians carry the living presence of Christ out to the world. We may be the only experience of Christ people have and the only opportunity they have to experience the love of God in action. We are sent out to be with them, walk along side them, and yes, even eat with them.
Where does God want to put us; who does God want to rank us with? Like the Pharisees, what prejudices and judgemental attitudes do we need to turn over to God to be the people God has called us to be?
May God give us Christ's eyes to see each person as one created in God's beautiful image.
May God give us Christ's heart that we might accept and love each person unconditionally.
May God give us Christ's hands and feet that we might be agents of God's mercy and compassion.
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