The English language contains
somewhere between 500,000 and 1,000,000
words. Over time, words are added. And,
words will continue to be added to our
dictionaries and lexicons. As culture changes,
so does the use of words. For instance, the
word “handsome” used to mean that someone
was handy—that they were good with their
hands. Now, of course, we use it to refer to
someone or something either as attractive, or
as plentiful. “What a handsome fella!” Or,
“She received quite a handsome bonus from
her company.” Each of us likely can
remember times when certain words and
phrases were popular and often used. In
many cases, it seems like those words and
phrases came out of nowhere. I remember
when “bad” was actually “good,” when “sick”
meant “awesome,” when “cool as grits” meant
that someone or something was the absolute
best, and when “going together” meant that
two people were dating, instead of just going
somewhere, um, together.
The word “other,” like many words in the
English language, has developed into more
than an adjective. It has taken on further
meaning as noun and as verb. The “other,” at
least as it denotes human beings, is often
used to identify people as different—to put
them in another class or status. As a verb, to
“other” someone is to treat them as alien, as
not a part of the group, whatever that group
may be. It actually is a proclamation that a
person is not a part of the crowd. That they
are dissimilar, separated, detached, and not
welcome. It is an indication of distance and, to
be frank, rejection. It ultimately is a
declaration that someone is not wanted. That
they should stay in their group, in their lane,
and away from the rest of “us.”
In Luke 5, Jesus is teaching a crowd.
Included in that crowd is a group of
Pharisees and scribes, “who had come
from every village of Galilee and Judea
and from Jerusalem.” This was an
important gathering, made so by the
presence of these special people. Scribes
and Pharisees traveled from far and wide
to hear what the Nazarene carpenter had
to say. In the midst of Jesus’s teaching,
some men bring to Jesus a man who was
paralyzed. As the story goes, Jesus not
only heals the man, but He first forgives
him of his sins. Much consternation
ensues, but in the end, people are “filled
with awe.”
Immediately after this event, Jesus
calls Matthew (“Levi”) to follow him.
Matthew drops everything and obeys
Jesus. In celebration and honor, Matthew
next hosts a banquet in his house, inviting
not only Jesus, but also many “others.”
Yes, “others.” Tax collectors and sinners.
Outcasts and discarded people. The
marginalized and shamed. The Pharisees
and scribes take issue with this. They are
offended that Jesus would sit at table with
such people. They are incensed that the
so-called rabbi from Galilee would dare to
preach and teach Torah, then turn around
and associate with the dregs of society. In
their minds and hearts, they could not
fathom befriending the “other.”
I cannot say for certain which of the
accusations made against Jesus made
Jesus most proud. My belief, however, is
that being called “a friend of tax collectors
and sinners” was a badge of honor for our
Savior. He welcomed them. He loved and
respected them. He approached “others”
as human beings created by God, and
deserving of hope, honor, compassion,
dignity, and love.
–Ricky