Lectionary Scripture Luke 15:1-10 NRSV
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." So he told them this parable: "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
The Jesus Approach
Commentary from my faith tradition on the above scripture states that God loves all people. Therefore, in God’s eyes, no differences or divisions exist based on culture, social standing, or personal achievement. Consequently, the disciple’s mission in our tradition requires that we uphold the dignity and worth of all persons and invite them to share in God’s Peaceable Kingdom cause. So my faith tradition asks this question, “What is your passion and commitment for upholding the worth of all persons?”
For me, such passions and commitment are the core of who I am. They drive me so thoroughly that if I encounter someone who takes others for granted or abuses or misuses their authority or mistreats another person, I can become incensed. I feel that way if I find it happening at a personal and individual level and I feel that way if I find it happening in a more macro and/or systemic way. So what particularly appeals to me in the above scripture is Jesus’ courage to intervene with such persons who in this case are the Pharisees. In my book, I have typically regarded the Pharisees of Jesus’ time to be little more than judgmental controlling bullies. In effect, Jesus is my hero and model when for the sake and well-being of those whom bullies despise, he dispassionately uses reason, logic, and story-telling to assert undeniable truths. Through this nonviolent approach, he disempowers the intimidation and oppression of such tormentors.
With these things in mind, I reflected further on the question raised by my faith tradition. The reflection sent me wandering through different memories. Some were from childhood and youth and some from adult life. Memories from childhood seemed to have a commonality as I considered the “passion” aspect of the question. Mostly in my childhood immaturity I would beat up kids who beat on other kids. On one occasion, I even broke bones in my hand. In time however, I realized this behavior was an outlet for the abuse I and my siblings and mother experienced from my father. Eventually, I learned to confront my father directly and take stands with him when necessary. Generally, these confrontations involved speaking my mind and telling him what I would not allow. Usually this calmed him and therefore I came to appreciate Jesus’ way of handling things nonviolently -- an approach some call pacifist when taking a stand on behalf of others or even myself.
As the Jesus approach took greater hold of me in my youth, I seldom found the physical or violent approach necessary. I remember an incident one summer during high school years when a friend and I went swimming at the city pool. Finished with our swim and in the men’s dressing room, the local bully showed up. He verbally tormented my friend for no reason at all. He then shoved him around hoping to provoke a fight. Knowing the bully’s history, he wanted an excuse to beat my friend to a pulp. Wisely, my friend put up no resistance hoping the bully would lose interest and leave. When that didn’t happen and it appeared that things might escalate into physical assault, I stepped between the two of them and said, "Stop." I smiled at the bully and said, “He’s done nothing to you. He’s no threat to you.” The bully turned his angry stare toward me. I expected the worst to follow and steeled myself for an all out brawl – not only with him and but also the buddy at his side. All that happened was a shove and the bully turned around and left. What a relief!
In adulthood, I’ve learned more about such people through my professional training in psychology and clinical experience in public mental health. I have come to understand a great deal about the issues of bullies and rigid judgmental controlling people like the Pharisees. I have discovered how the Jesus approach is even more important in dealing with such persons. The primary thing a Jungian psychiatrist once told me in supervision is this, “Recognize when you are in the presence of evil. When you can do that, you will be able to deal objectively with the situation before you.” Later, I would learn from this gifted and compassionate doctor the highly subtle forms evil can take in persons. From out of such learning, I came to understand when to let go of someone or some situation and when to advocate with all my soul for the well-being of another, even if that meant demanding for action to be taken to contain evil and set boundaries around it.
From my perspective, Jesus understood the above distinctions with a sophistication and finesse born of his brilliance, his commitment to the worth of all, and from the inspiration God gave him in tough situations. He could distinguish between the evil of sinners who could be called to repentance, e.g. the tax collectors. And he could distinguish between the evil of grumbling Pharisaical persons who would despise him from the start of his mortal ministry to its ending upon the cross. Such persons could never be called to repentance. Such persons would remain forever committed to their own ends. Such persons always needed others over whom they lorded or controlled.
So when these grumbling persons whispered in disapproving voices from the sidelines of situations where Jesus extended grace, he would mince few words illustrating the love of God to these rigid individuals. Yet, his illustrations and story-telling would only enrage them further in his depictions of God as a shepherd seeking the lost sheep. For as you may or may not know shepherds were regarded as little more than thieves and low life. “Outrageous!” would also be their reaction at the depiction of God as a woman searching for a lost coin since women had no standing in Jesus time and were little more than property. Such evil Jesus silenced as through his calm presence, storytelling, reasoning, and truth telling evil could find no grounds by which to refute him.
Having been a pastor in three different congregations, I can affirm the Jesus approach as a potent and critical combination when evil must be confronted. I remember one lay minister congregant in particular with a long history of intimidating judgmental controlling behavior. I would call the person a Pharisee in spades. When this person didn’t like how things were going at any given point in time, the individual would tantrum so badly and intensely that others in the congregation suffered panic attacks. From my mental health background, I knew that such hysterics had no real substance to them and simply occurred as attempts to control others. This was particularly so as the person never had the courage to tantrum in my presence. Nor did the person have the courage to approach me directly about issues that were upsetting. Instead, the person would upset others in an effort to manipulate them into taking on the individual's issues as their own.
The day came that enough was enough and that such childish behavior had to stop. I conveyed the message that the behavior must end or the matter would be referred to superiors. Such an approach is necessary as pastors in my tradition have little authority to discipline or intervene with a disruptive antagonistic lay minister congregant. Almost always, a higher level of authority in our hierarchical structure becomes involved when there’s a behavior or discipline concern in a congregation. Sometimes this works out well and sometimes it doesn’t. The laudable goal of course is avoiding congregational splits or divisions or losing even one member of the flock. In this particular instance, the strategy worked and the tantrums stopped – at least within the church building. For a while, a greater measure of peace came upon the congregation. Dignity and worth of persons were upheld and honored for the entire body.
May you in your discipleship always be found as committed and upholding the dignity and worth of all persons, no matter in what setting or circumstance you find yourself. As I was once counseled, may you also have the courage to recognize and accept when evil is before you. May you not be its plaything. May you have the courage to accept when something must be done. May you do so in a way potent enough to resolve the problem yet compassionate enough to make Jesus proud. Do this so Jesus may have admiration for you -- for those whom he admired he called blessed. Such is my hope, may it be yours as well is my prayer for you this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment