January 9, 2005

Sharing God's Hospitality

by Pierre Gilbert

Mark 2: 13-17

One day, Jesus was having dinner with tax collectors and sinners. Needless to say, the Pharisees who were always looking for some reason to discredit Jesus, had here a wonderful opportunity to stick it to him. But, as usual Jesus has the perfect response. That's the great thing about Jesus; he always had the perfect answer. Most of us only think of a great answer 2-3 days after the fact. Not Jesus. And so, he said: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mk 2:17)

Two things strike me in this passage.

First, Jesus makes space in his life for people who are on the fringe of the Kingdom. The issue is not so much that he makes a point of hanging around with shady people in shady places. It's not at all what it's about. It's about Jesus associating with people who are not in! He makes room for them. In some ways, bringing the Good News to others is very simple, difficult but simple. First of all, we have to make some room for others in our lives. But if we don't even try to do that, no amount of evangelism seminars will help. Like Jesus, we must make room for those who are on the outside, whoever these people might happen to be.
Second, Jesus has a clear sense of mission. He is hanging around these people because they are sick. They need him and they need his message of hope. Good people always look for a cause to live for. But Jesus did not live for just any cause. He was ferociously focused on the most important cause of all: the salvation of humanity.

The implications of that text are clear for us. Christians are called to bring a message of salvation to people who are sick. Christians, like everyone else, look for causes to live for. There is nothing wrong with that. But we have to be careful. We can't afford to get lost in minor causes as worthy as they may be. Environmental activism is a good thing, but it's not the Gospel. Social activism is a great thing, but it's not the Gospel. Even political activism, my favorite, cannot be confused with the Gospel. Some of us spend untold energies preaching the values of simplicity. Nothing wrong with that. But as good as all these things are, they are not the Gospel; at best they are derivatives of the Gospel. Our primary calling, as Christians, is not to moralize people about the money they spend at Christmas, the cars they drive, the virtues of recycling, or who knows what else. Our primary calling is to give the only cure there is for the greatest ailment of all: sin and death.

A cancer specialist does not waste his or her time prescribing aspirins or rattling on about the virtues of physical exercise or healthy eating to someone who is facing imminent death. The doctor is focused on one thing at this point: Treating the disease and saving the patient. There will be plenty of time to talk about lifestyle adjustments once the disease is dealt with.

Christians can do much good in society, and so should we, but if we do not offer the message of salvation and hope that is found in Jesus Christ, we will have failed to accomplish the most important mission Christ entrusted to his people: To preach the Gospel and to make disciples of all nations. (594 words)