Integrity isn't just about being the upright individual, who sets themselves apart from the immoral society around them. People of integrity also have the daunting task of making the community around them a good place to live. The truth is we can spend our energy on making a separate community within our neighborhoods because we're afraid of being associated with the broken people around us. We're scared that their burdens might become our burdens.
I remember one guy in particular in high school. People spent time mocking him and hurling insults at his family. He didn't grow up in a strong home. He wasn't good looking, was unpopular, didn't play any sports, and wasn't involved with any groups. No one wanted anything to do with him. He was never invited to try out another way of living. This guy had no chance of getting into a positive community. Things we take for granted like deep conversations, positive touch (hand shakes, hugs, arm around the shoulder), accountability.
About a year ago I read on someone's Facebook page that this guy had been arrested for charges of having relations with a minor. That's scary, disgusting, and vile. It's crazy to think that I went to school with rapists, prostitutes, drug abusers, etc. Comments began to surface from other people I went to school with. I became angry and flustered. They didn't accept this guy before this moral failure. He wasn't accepted because of who he always was, and who he was always going to be. That was evident all throughout middle school and high school. No one wanted anything to do with this guy and his sister. He was immoral, and he was cheap. Because he had no values he could not be valued. I had forgotten what his face even looked like until I saw the article. It's a face I'll now never forget. It's because someone was desperate enough to try something stupid. Desperate enough to find value in girls he never met, and some too young.
In Mark 2:13-17 Jesus is heading into the city. He runs into Levi the tax collector. A Jew who made his living taking advantage of other Jews. Due to Levi's occupation he couldn't associate with the kind of people you'd want your kids hanging out with. Levi spent most of his time hanging out with harlots and other tax collectors. He associated with sinners because he was one. Jesus invites him along as his disciple. Levi accepts Christ's invite and then holds a meal at his house. The meal consists of reclining at a table with harlots, sinners, and tax collectors. So Jesus is celebrating with a sinner at a sinners house. The Pharisees had a reform going on where they were pushing a "holier than though art" mentality. You were holy when you had morals and only associated with moral people. You weren't supposed to eat with harlots, tax collectors, sinners. Sound familiar?
I wouldn't be surprised if this is the first time Levi has an important official eating with him in his house. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the first time he's had a pleasant conversation from a man of high position in society, whom some called Rabbi. Maybe Levi felt freed from his position of tax collector because of Jesus' call and plan. The repentance is coming later for Levi, but let's eat and recline first. Let Jesus spend time in your company first and tend to your needs. Let Jesus meet and celebrate with all of your friends.
Maybe we could look at this kids story and say, unlike Levi, he had nothing to celebrate. Levi didn't necessarily celebrate life change here. Levi hasn't done anything in his own story just yet. The tax collector celebrated the arrival of a Rabbi. Levi celebrated a new found relationship. He celebrates the hand that kept him. My kid in my past lashed out without positive reinforcement. He used his hands and heart to latch on to something because no one dared latch unto him. Anyone in a position of some integrity or some faith could have given a cause of celebration to the kid in my story.
Now, this isn't to say we just accept the sin of a person. I don't know who you are, and what your stance is on the issue of helping strangers and enemies, You've probably have been burned by people who took advantage of your good intentions. You probably struggle with uplifting, celebrating, or looking out for people who you think don't want to better themselves. The debate on where we overlook sin, and where the law comes in to play weighs heavily on all of us. Let's put this debate aside, and simply ask, "How am I bettering my community today? If God tells me to love my neighbor, then how can I look out for my neighbor today?" If loving our neighbor is the second greatest on commandment, how do can you make it a focal point in your life? If we come at this with the debate about law vs. love, then we can start going against what Jesus taught about neighbors. The lesson from the Good Samaritan isn't learned, and we can all walk around with a jaded perspective about everyone else. Loving your neighbor is a blanket statement, that is all inclusive. It includes the guy who asks for hand outs only to turn around and buy alcohol. Even this guy has a seat at your table, and is deserving of a community. Let loving your neighbor be the law, and then decide every moment forward whether or not tough love is needed.
In 2 Kings 19 Elijah calls Elisha. Both Elisha and Levi celebrate with a big feast. Both invite their inner circle to dine with their new Rabbi. Both called by God. One was a farmer who burned his plow. One was a tax collector who took from people. Both could find a celebration feast even though they were coming from two very different lifestyles. Elisha was a noble worker, where Levi was a crooked one. Are you only making room for Elisha's in your life? Can you care for the Levi's too?
Back in Mark's story, the Pharisees come later asking why Jesus is eating with sinners and tax collectors. Vs. 17 Jesus states that he had come for the lost. This isn't referring to the broad term, sinners. We're all sinners. That would make Jesus' statement too easy to follow. It would be easy to use this as an excuse to associate with some sinners and not others. No, Jesus is referring to immoral people (Luke 24:7). For Jesus, being clean isn't required to dine at this table. This is a table reserved for sinners.
When's the last time you reserved a table for an immoral person? I never reserved a table for me and the guy. I was scared of the association. And I had split thoughts of "Thank God I didn't hang out with him." I wonder if anyone ever did.
When we witness someone being arrested for charges in the news we usually have one or two responses. 1) They chose this for themselves. They deserve whatever they receive. Doesn't matter where they came from. 2) They came from a tough place. They never could have made anything better for themselves.
A girl gets pregnant outside of marriage in high school... what do you do?
- What about the boy friend? ... will he never become a man? ... who's to teach him?
A woman/man gets divorced for petty reasons... what do you do?
A person loses their kid to social services... what do you do for the adult?
The problem with these two responses are they make excuses for not associating with the other person. Much like the Pharisees were making excuses of association for some tax collectors and harlots. "They grew up with sinners for parents." "She's a gentile." "He cost my brother his camel." "She doesn't dress according the Law. I'm losing holistic men because of her." I think Jesus is more interested in you, if you're a follower of his. He sees you pass Levi's, harlots and sinners all the time. He sees us raising glasses for the Elisha's of the world, but not the Levi's. For me, this is a tough message to carry out. Because it puts me in places of association. It puts me at unclean tables.
He became a doctor for the immoral.
What's your excuse?
No comments:
Post a Comment