Readings for today: Matthew 8:1-4, 9:1-17, 12:1-21, Mark 1:40-45, 2:1-28, 3:1-21, Luke 5:12-39, 6:1-19
One of the things I love most about Jesus is His embrace of sinners. He hangs out with them. He eats with them. He spends time with them. He doesn’t seem embarrassed or ashamed of them. He’s not afraid to confront them but it is always in love. Always with their best in mind. Three of the four Gospels record the account of Jesus calling Matthew or Levi as His disciple. The very first thing Matthew does is throw a party. He invites all his friends. But it’s definitely not the “in” crowd. Definitely not the kind of crowd anyone would want to associate with in first century Israel. Tax collectors and other sinners. They all gather around the table with Jesus and His disciples and it creates a scandal. The Pharisees, always so concerned with religious purity, challenge Him. Why do you eat with tax collectors and other sinners? The implication is they are not worth His time. They are unclean and impure. They are lost and far from God. They have rejected God’s Law by the choices they make. They are disobedient and rebellious. They should be marginalized and ostracized until they repent. Jesus’ response is brilliant. “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. Go and learn what this saying means: “I want mercy and not sacrifice.” For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12 NET)
We live in a Pharisaical culture. We are so concerned with ideological purity that we refuse to associate with anyone who might disagree with us. Might not share the same values as us. Might not be a full-throated supporter of all we believe in. We cut off family. We cut off friends. We cut off spouses in divorce and disown children and parents. In this way, we are no different than the Pharisees who challenged Jesus. And where has our Pharisaism led us? Estrangement with those we love. I think of the prevalence of “no contact” counseling that has become popular in therapy these days. Clients are encouraged to cut off those they love. They label family members and friends as “toxic.” They justify their actions by talking about “safety” but what they really mean is ideological conformity. It’s a terrible approach that comes with a psychological cost. Relationships are broken. Loneliness and isolation increases. It often leads to greater levels of depression. A much better approach is to follow Jesus. To privilege mercy over purity. To privilege compassion over conformity. To privilege grace over legalism.
I know it’s not easy. I have people in my own life who I love dearly with whom I disagree profoundly. When we get together for dinner, there is always a certain level of tension in the room. We have to watch what we say and how we respond because we’ve committed to respect and honor one another despite our deep disagreements. The same dynamic is present in the church I pastor. We have people who attend from across the ideological spectrum politically, socially, economically, and religiously. Every Sunday we have multiple ethnicities and multiple cultures present in our midst. We have people of deep faith and people of no faith who call PEPC home. And the only reason we are thriving is because we have largely taken Jesus’ words to heart. We desire mercy over ritualism. We desire mercy over legalism. We desire mercy over ideological conformity. Friends, only Jesus is strong enough to hold us together when everything else in the world threatens to tear us apart. Trust in Him. Follow Him. Believe Him. His mercy is greater than sacrifice.
Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 5-7, Luke 6:20-49, 11:1-13