What or who do we value?
The Pharisees and Scribes did not value the tax collectors and sinners who came to listen to Jesus.
They did not value Jesus, either.
Those who judge others do not value them. They de-value them.
God values all of us.
The examples were especially contextual, as occupied peoples under empire had very little. Everything was taken by the oppressors, who took what they had to fuel the power machine that fed the wealth machine of the elites who were in control. One coin out of ten meant survival for the oppressed. One sheep out of a hundred meant feeding one's family or not. Tax collectors were especially hated, because they lined their own pockets through the over-charging of others on their taxes. That meant survival for them, or using the corrupt system to benefit themselves at the expense of others - an empire value. "Sinners" were targets of a people who had everything stripped away from them, including their self-worth, so the low hanging fruit for the judging of others in the spirit of "at least I'm not like them," were those who survived through practices that according to some social mores were clearly "wrong." Empire establishes horrendous and insidious hierarchies in society, dividing and eventually destroying community through them.
The Kingdom of God values everyone having enough, and thus living in Shalom (completeness, wholeness and well-being).
The irony, of course, is that the Pharisees and Scribes were the WRONG ones, the SINFUL ones here, for judging and promoting the unfaithful, destructive hierarchies. These highly "religious" folk, who had the status and position of appearing to be upright and godly, above moral reproach and the epitome of proper society, had bought into the empire values of Rome and lived them. They were a part of the problem. Yes, God even values these sinners. They should be thankful that Jesus welcomed and ate with sinners - LIKE THEM.
God does not like losing those who God values.
God goes after the one in a hundred, the one out of ten, because God values them.
There is great celebration in heaven when the lost are found.
There would be great celebration in heaven for the one lost Pharisee or Scribe that was found and restored to relationship with God, as well as the tax collectors and "other" sinners.
I wonder how much celebrating is going on in heaven now.
I wonder.
Pastor Jamie
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