Thought of the Day !!

Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?" When Jesus heard this, he said, "Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do."

                                   Matthew 9:10-12 (NLT)

The Pharisees are offended that Jesus would be giving his time to “those” people.  They see themselves as better than them.  This leads to them asking why a supposedly reputable teacher would hang out with such “scum”. 

Jesus is sharing a meal with the lower class instead of the home of a good upstanding Pharisee.  This is important because in this culture sharing a meal implies acceptance and even approval.  It’s a relationship thing.

But Jesus teaches that he did not come for those who thought highly of themselves.  He came for those who knew that they were in need.  Those who think awful highly of themselves don’t have a need for a Savior because they can always work things out for themselves.  This was the feeling of the Pharisees.  And ironically they were the ones who needed Jesus the most.

The Pharisees are like a lot of Christians today.  They do all the right things and at their heart they love being moral people and love the rituals of the church.  But the one thing that they’ve missed out on is the most important thing.  They don’t really love others as they love themselves.  Jesus taught that we are to love all, not just a select few.  And loving people can sometimes be messy.  Just like the Pharisees, many of us don’t like messy.  We don’t want to be unclean.  We don’t want to get our hands dirty.  We like a cleaned up religion because it’s easier and more comfortable.

Don’t let this be who you become without even realizing it.  Don’t judge people as worse than you.  Instead see all as no better and no worse.  Then love them unconditionally…like Jesus does.

In the love of Christ,
greg