Your kindness is more powerful than your opinion
“And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples."
~ Matthew 9:10
Do you have opinions? Do some of these opinions involve the choices made by others? Perhaps you agree or disagree with others' choices. Perhaps you feel the decisions made by some are healthy or godly (i.e. "right"), and the decision made by others unhealthy or ungodly (i.e. "wrong").
When do you share those opinions, and with whom do you share them?
Jesus always fascinates and challenges me, and Matthew's story about Jesus at a dinner party is one of those moments where I simply have to stand amazed.
The first thing that intrigues me is, as the verse above explains, Jesus was already at the dinner when "many tax collectors and sinners" came to him ("sinner" was the Jewish term for someone they thought was far from God). They came and sought him out.
So something about Jesus attracted broken people far from God. Sadly, I'm not sure that people far from God today seek out Jesus' followers like these tax collectors and sinners sought Jesus.
The second thing that intrigues me is what Jesus says and doesn't say at this party. The only challenging comment he makes is to the Pharisees. He welcomes the sinners and challenges the Pharisees.
Now don't misunderstand me or hear something I'm not saying. Jesus absolutely had thoughts about healthy and godly living and stances on certain issues. His heart was to restore shalom in every person's life, which meant turning away from sin and turning to relationship with the Father.
However, he never led with those thoughts or opinions when he was around those who lifestyle was hurting them (except with the Pharisee and those who claimed to be righteous when they weren't).
Paul captured Jesus' heart in Romans 2:4.
“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?"
~ Romans 2:4
Note the order. Repentance does not lead to God’s kindness. God’s kindness leads to repentance.
You see this in the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19. The only recorded words Jesus speaks to him are, "Come down, Zacchaeus. I must stay at your house today," (kindness) and "Today, salvation has come to this house..." (referring to Zacchaeus' repentance) followed by "...For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost."
Keep in mind that Zacchaeus was a tax collector, and not just any tax collector, but the chief tax collector. As tax collector he would have been an extortionist, and as chief tax collector he would have been a very good at his job.
Do you think Jesus had thoughts on extortion? Perhaps even a firm stance? Of course he did, but he didn't begin his encounter with Zacchaeus by stating his stance: "I want to visit with you but first I need to make clear how I feel about your choices up to this point. Once you understand my stance on tax collecting and extortion, we can be friends - as long as you remember my disagreement with your lifestyle."
Jesus tells his followers the same thing in Luke 10, that when we enter a person's home our opening words are to be words of blessing, not words of judgment (Luke 10:5).
PAUSE and REFLECT:
I am sure you are surrounded by people who make choices with which you disagree. How do you approach them? Are you quick to share your stance on their everyday choices?
As followers of Jesus who live among people who make choices with which we may disagree, our job is not to lead with our stance on any issue but to lead with blessing and flood with kindness. And if repentance never happens, the kindness does not stop because our heavenly Father "gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike" (Matthew 5:45).
The challenge Jesus presents us with is to follow his example. He did not begin loving relationships by stating where he stands on the issues. He began relationship with kindness and radical love. This is why "tax collectors and sinners" flocked to him.
Can we do the same?
* the theme of this post is inspired by some of the writings and podcasts of Preston Sprinkle