In reading Luke 7:36-50, I was struck by the comment of Simon the Pharisee about Jesus. "If this man were a prophet..." is a comment that expresses Simon's expectations of what a prophet was like. For Jesus to allow a notoriously sinful woman to touch Him was a violation of the purity expected of a prophet, or even a rabbi. Simon thus appears to make up his mind about who Jesus is, and that without seeking an explanation for His behavior.
Of course, Jesus promptly demonstrates His prophetic abilities by reveaing that He is aware of Simon's thoughts. We are not told Simon's reaction, but from the wording of the story it doesn't seem that he was terribly astonished. Jesus did not address Simon's opinion directly, but through an illustration (sometimes referred to as a parable).
The exchange between Jesus and Simon is one of the gospel accounts that shows Jesus shattering the expectations of people. There were certain ways rabbis and prophets were expected to behave, and the conventions were established by long tradition. Jesus was willing to break with those traditions, not just to make a point, but tho show what a true rabbi and a true prophet really were like. Certainly Jesus was more than a teacher, and more than a prophet, but He was both of those as well. He was in many ways the fulfillment of what each of those offices should be.
Shattering expectations is something the church needs to do today. The stereotype of the evangelical church is one that paints Christians as self-righteous money-grubbing hypocrites out for their own interests. We need to show a love and compassion that tells the world around us that their image of the church is wrong. We ought to be the expression of the love of Jesus to our neighbors, friends, and family, and to break the negative stereotypes and expectations they have of Christians. Once we do that, we can present the good news of forgiveness even to those who thought they had no need of Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment