OCTOBER 21, 2014
Undeserved
Praise
Read: Luke
5:27-32
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. —Luke 5:32
Even before I could
afford a self-cleaning oven, I managed to keep my oven clean. Guests even
commented on it when we had them over for a meal. “Wow, your oven is so clean.
It looks like new.” I accepted the praise even though I knew I didn’t deserve
it. The reason my oven was clean had nothing to do with my meticulous
scrubbing; it was clean because I so seldom used it.
How often, I wonder,
am I guilty of accepting undeserved admiration for my “clean” life? It’s easy
to give the impression of being virtuous; simply do nothing difficult,
controversial, or upsetting to people. But Jesus said we are to love people who
don’t agree with us, who don’t share our values, who don’t even like us. Love
requires that we get involved in the messy situations of people’s lives. Jesus
was frequently in trouble with religious leaders who were more concerned about
keeping their own reputations clean than they were about the spiritual
condition of those they were supposed to care for. They considered Jesus and
His disciples unclean for mingling with sinners when they were simply trying to
rescue people from their destructive way of life (Luke 5:30-31).
True disciples of
Jesus are willing to risk their own reputations to help others out of the mire
of sin.
Dear Lord, give me a
heart of compassion for
those who are lost in
sin. Help me not to be
concerned about what
others think of me but
only that Your holy
name will be honored.
Christ
sends us out to bring others in.
Insight
The role of tax
collector in first-century Israel was quite different from what we would think
today. Ancient Rome operated on the back of the taxes drained from conquered
lands like Israel. This was overseen by the local governor (or procurator), but
it was actually accomplished by local citizens like Levi (also known as
Matthew), who worked for Rome. These tax collectors, however, were not viewed
as simple agents or bureaucrats. They were known to charge higher taxes than
were due and to pocket the excess. They were despised as collaborators who had
aligned themselves with the hated occupying force. The taxes they collected
were a continuing symbol of the oppression the Jews felt as a conquered people,
and the tax collectors were considered participants in that oppression.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
