The Journey 135
Read: Luke 18:9-14
Racist Believers?. We continue our journey on the meditation whether because of our commitment to Christ, our attitudes tend to be racist?. Do we agree or disagree with Martin Luther King’s statement which I quoted yesterday that “Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America”. Read about this incident that was sent to me by one of my friends. “A 50 plus year old white woman arrived at her seat on a crowded flight and immediately she said that didn't want that particular seat. The reason- The seat was next to a black man. Disgusted, the woman immediately summoned the flight attendant and demanded a new seat. The woman said "I cannot sit here next to this black man." The fight attendant said "Let me see if I can find another seat." After checking, the flight attendant returned and stated "Ma'am, there are no more seats in economy, but I will check with the captain and see if there is something in first class." About 10 minutes went by and the flight attendant returned and stated "The captain has confirmed that there are no more seats in economy, but there is one in first class. It is our airline policy to never move a person from economy to first class, but being that it would be some sort of scandal to force a person to sit next to an “UNPLEASANT” person, the captain has agreed to make the switch to first class." Before the woman could say anything, the attendant gestured to the black man and said, "Therefore sir, if you would so kindly retrieve your personal items, we would like to move you to the comfort of first class as the captain doesn't want you to sit next to an “UNPLEASENT” person." Seeing this action the passengers in the seats nearby was dumfounded, and soon began to applause while some gave a standing ovation. Why did that woman react like that? What was it that made her so uncomfortable sitting next to another person? What was the mental programming that she had about that particular person?. If we want to live transformed lives let us not look at anyone at our perspective but at the perspective as to how God looks at them. This week we are meditating on the theme “ Transformation in my community” based on the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector from Luke 18: 9-14. What is the most paradoxical of this parable. Pharisees can be termed as people who were so called “ believers” of those time. They tried to live righteously according to the law of Moses which was the gospel for them at that time, while the Tax Collector can be termed as one who had not responded to the message of the law of Moses. But Jesus exalts not the Pharisee but the tax collector. What makes Jesus exalt the tax collector and not the Pharisees. Just because the Pharisee responded and tried to live righteously did not make him acceptable before God. Even if I have responded to the message of the gospel, I still need God’s mercy, I still need God’s forgiveness and Christian life is a constant affirmation on the need of God’s grace and the conviction that I am a sinner [ Rom 3:23, 6: 23]. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Timothy 1: 15 “ That Christ came to the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief”. It is this realization that transforms the life of a believer in such a way that he lives his life in humility, does not judge or condemn another person because of colour or his stands on certain issues or because he or she is still an “unbeliever”. I think these are the attitudes that tend to make ourselves to become some so called “ exclusivist believers”, posing ourselves with the attitude that I am holy or better than the other person. Let us remember that God loved the “whole world” and that is why He sent His Son Jesus so that the whole world could be redeemed. Let us thank God that we could experience the salvation experience which make us call ourselves believers, but let us not forget that through our lifestyle and our attitudes, others also need to experience salvation through Christ.
Racist Believers?. We continue our journey on the meditation whether because of our commitment to Christ, our attitudes tend to be racist?. Do we agree or disagree with Martin Luther King’s statement which I quoted yesterday that “Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America”. Read about this incident that was sent to me by one of my friends. “A 50 plus year old white woman arrived at her seat on a crowded flight and immediately she said that didn't want that particular seat. The reason- The seat was next to a black man. Disgusted, the woman immediately summoned the flight attendant and demanded a new seat. The woman said "I cannot sit here next to this black man." The fight attendant said "Let me see if I can find another seat." After checking, the flight attendant returned and stated "Ma'am, there are no more seats in economy, but I will check with the captain and see if there is something in first class." About 10 minutes went by and the flight attendant returned and stated "The captain has confirmed that there are no more seats in economy, but there is one in first class. It is our airline policy to never move a person from economy to first class, but being that it would be some sort of scandal to force a person to sit next to an “UNPLEASANT” person, the captain has agreed to make the switch to first class." Before the woman could say anything, the attendant gestured to the black man and said, "Therefore sir, if you would so kindly retrieve your personal items, we would like to move you to the comfort of first class as the captain doesn't want you to sit next to an “UNPLEASENT” person." Seeing this action the passengers in the seats nearby was dumfounded, and soon began to applause while some gave a standing ovation. Why did that woman react like that? What was it that made her so uncomfortable sitting next to another person? What was the mental programming that she had about that particular person?. If we want to live transformed lives let us not look at anyone at our perspective but at the perspective as to how God looks at them. This week we are meditating on the theme “ Transformation in my community” based on the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector from Luke 18: 9-14. What is the most paradoxical of this parable. Pharisees can be termed as people who were so called “ believers” of those time. They tried to live righteously according to the law of Moses which was the gospel for them at that time, while the Tax Collector can be termed as one who had not responded to the message of the law of Moses. But Jesus exalts not the Pharisee but the tax collector. What makes Jesus exalt the tax collector and not the Pharisees. Just because the Pharisee responded and tried to live righteously did not make him acceptable before God. Even if I have responded to the message of the gospel, I still need God’s mercy, I still need God’s forgiveness and Christian life is a constant affirmation on the need of God’s grace and the conviction that I am a sinner [ Rom 3:23, 6: 23]. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Timothy 1: 15 “ That Christ came to the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief”. It is this realization that transforms the life of a believer in such a way that he lives his life in humility, does not judge or condemn another person because of colour or his stands on certain issues or because he or she is still an “unbeliever”. I think these are the attitudes that tend to make ourselves to become some so called “ exclusivist believers”, posing ourselves with the attitude that I am holy or better than the other person. Let us remember that God loved the “whole world” and that is why He sent His Son Jesus so that the whole world could be redeemed. Let us thank God that we could experience the salvation experience which make us call ourselves believers, but let us not forget that through our lifestyle and our attitudes, others also need to experience salvation through Christ.