An Old Parable Revisited
Meditation Moment #266
I hope I have at least a little reputation for reaching out to people who are messing up in their lives. I do so as one who trusted Christ because I needed a Savior, not because I was smart or good or worthy. As I have sought to engage fellow sinners over the years I can look back and see times when God has used me for good in their lives. I can also see times when, at least up to this point, those whom I have sought have gone deep into the quicksand of wickedness. During my forays into trying to imitate Jesus' heart to seek that which is lost, I have made a discovery. I believe we are prone to misunderstand Jesus' love for sinners.
To explain what I mean let me mention Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (Luke 18:9-14). In that parable a self-righteous Pharisee stands in front of a "worship center" and thanks God that he is not like other men – especially the despicable guy in the back of the room. That despicable guy, on the other hand, humbly cries to God for mercy. Jesus' point in the parable is NOT that sinners are cool and religious people are not. He was striking a blow at self-righteousness in a setting very familiar to his audience.
If Jesus were to tell the same parable in different circles today, he might tell it another way. For example, among a group of church critics on a street corner he might say...
"There was an old, conservative church member standing in the front of the church with head bowed. In the back of the church stood a disheveled looking skater dude. The skater dude spat on the carpet and said, 'I'm glad I'm free to drink, swear and play around. I'm glad I can be a hell-raiser and not some narrow-minded poser like that idiot up there.' The old man, however, heaved a heart-felt sigh and said, 'Oh God, what a poor example I have been of your love. Please, have mercy on me and on the kid behind me.'"
You may find that version disturbing. Why? Do you think I'm re-writing Scripture? I'm not. I'm trying to get at the point of what Jesus said in the parable recorded for us.
Might some be disturbed because they're used to thinking of conservative Christians as hypocrites? Is it because there is this sentiment that hell-raisers are really poor, lost boys who, if the church had just done it right, would have become spiritual heroes? Is there the tendency to believe that practicing sinners are wise and discerning whereas church people are shallow and stupid? Is it not possible for an old church-goer to be right in the sight of God and for a skater dude to be the self-righteous bigot?
Jesus, in his parable, was not telling us that Publicans are in with God. His quest for sinners whom others despised was not because they were good. We read of prostitutes who sought him in grief. We read nothing of prostitutes who may have tried to proposition him. One can be sure that any prostitute or publican committed to their sin did not hear "Your sins are forgiven" any more than self-righteous Pharisees.
The issue in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican was the difference between self-righteousness and repentance. It is repentance which catches the ear of God. It is repentance which the Holy Spirit works in the heart. We must be careful lest our biblical concern for the lost develops into an unbiblical commendation of the lost. Lost people (whether religious or reprobate) remain lost unless repentance appears in their hearts (Luke 13:1-5).
Pub. Date: 09/15/2009
Rev. Date: 9/18/2009
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