Matthew 9:10-13
Later when Jesus was eating
supper at Matthew’s house with his close followers, a lot of
disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him
keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus’
followers. “What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy
with crooks and riffraff?”
Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who
needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this
Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite
outsiders, not coddle insiders.”
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
I’ll be honest…I’m a cat
person. I love, love, love dogs – and pretty much all animals (except
snakes!)…but “cats are my ‘people’!” It’s safe to say that I have probably never met a cat I didn’t like! My mom and mother-in-law are
dog people. My mother-in-law has not owned a dog in years, but she
“dog-sits” for about a half dozen special clients…and she LOVES “her”
dogs.
Three dogs have resided with my mother since the late
1980s…first Otis – my sister’s white lab, who totally transformed my mom
into a “dog person” for life. Next came Carmen – my brother’s pit bull
mix – who was like a “sister” to our family. After Carmen died, Mother
acquired Spot…who was her constant companion for 14 years and kept life
interesting for all of us…until his mixed-breed body literally wore out
this past January.
I loved all three of these dogs like family
members. And I really like a lot of other dogs…particularly big dogs.
But some of the smaller dog breeds are just not my cup of tea. For one
thing – and maybe this is just me – some of them have a smell that I
cannot get past. So when one of these little dogs who was visiting Greg’s
mother made a bee-line for me and jumped up into my chair to readily
sniff me over, I was not exactly thrilled. But I looked into that sweet
little face…the big, imploring dark eyes, and the cute little ears that
raised and lowered expressively - and I reminded myself…”He is
somebody’s everything. This little guy is loved and adored by many…if
not by me. He has a heart, and right now, he’s chosen to share it with
me.” And I stroked his head and patted his back as he settled in beside
me.
The little dog curled up in my lap and sat for several
minutes before jumping down to explore other people and things in the
room. And as I read the scripture passage for today, I was reminded
that we are all God’s children…even the “snakes” that scare us half to
death, and the critters of all kinds that “smell.” If we only ever hang
out among those who are pleasing to us, we’ve missed the moment – and
the mission!
If we “unfriend” everyone on social media who rubs
us the wrong way, we’ve missed an opportunity to share Jesus’ love and
mercy with them. If we avoid those who are different from us in some
way, we have not loved and ministered as we were commanded.
Remember...you and I may “smell” to someone else! Consider how you
would feel if the tables were turned!
I suggest that we all take a
collective breath…and try to see the “other guy” as Jesus does – even
the smelly little four-legged variety or the creepy snakes and spiders
that slither and crawl beneath our feet. Remember that we are all His
creatures…precious to Him and worthy of grace, mercy, love, forgiveness,
compassion, and inclusion. What you do for the smelliest among us, you
essentially do for Jesus.
Now…who do you need to look at in a
different light? Will this be the day that you begin to widen your
circle as a disciple of Christ? Don’t you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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