A God of No Reputation?

Nearing graduation in college, I began to get calls for interviews. Because I had worked hard and kept my GPA high, I was fortunate to receive interviews from some of the most desired companies. I was speaking with a fellow student who was graduating and he asked me to share who I would be interviewing with. When I told him, he gave me an undignified look and told me, “I am surprised that those companies would interview someone like you.” Ouch!

Obviously the issue for him was not really me, but that he did not get interviews with these companies and would have liked to have interviewed with them. But what he was referring to was the fact that I was an unmarried mom. Besides finishing college, I had my son at home to care for as a single parent.

Since this time, the world has become much more generous with their acceptance of single unwed mothers. However, there is still some stigma and shame associated with a woman who raises their child as an unwed parent.

In the time that Jesus was born, it would have been considered incredibly scandalous for Mary to be pregnant and engaged to Joseph. Both law following families would have been utterly disgraced by the matter. Yet this is the situation that God chose to create for His birth.

Joseph and Mary traveled together as an engaged couple, pledged for marriage and expecting a child. The reason for their travels was to register as a decree had been issued for a census to be taken of the entire Roman world. When they arrived in Bethlehem, there was no room for them at the Inn.

It doesn't speak of an overflow of people with no place to stay or many people having to stay in barn... Could it possibly be that the Inn keepers just couldn't find it in their hearts to take this engaged couple in that were soon expecting? Perhaps it was more of a “we don't have room here in the Inn for your type (we are a respectable place)... someone like you can sleep in the barn if you want”?

It just seems to fit that Jesus would be unaccepted by the religious folks from his very birth. Either way, the first resting place for the King of all Kings was in a feeding trough for animals. Those who the angels proclaimed his birth and came to witness were lowly and smelly shepherds out in the field.

Throughout His life, Jesus made Himself of no reputation.  Luke 7:34 says, The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners."  And at the very end of his life, Jesus hung on the cross.  He was crucified next to two criminals.  It was the worst and most disrespectful way to die.  

So often, like the disciples, we strive for significance. We want to be at the right or the left of someone important. We want to be known and present ourselves in a positive light. We want to be respected and talked about well. We actually put a great deal of energy into this... positioning ourselves and making our track records look good. Especially when it comes to our employment.

Yet rather than offering His disciples an exalted position on His right and His left, He offers them to drink from His cup - His cup of pain, sorrow and persecution. Jesus utters these words for those who will hear:
           “All you who are poor, you are blessed for the kingdom of God belongs to you.

All you who are hungry now, you are blessed for your hunger will be satisfied.

All you who weep now, you are blessed for you shall laugh!

When people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and write you off as evil on account of the Son of Man, you are blessed.

When these things happen, rejoice! Jump for joy! Then you have a great reward in heaven.

For at that moment, you are experiencing what the ancient prophets did when they were similarly treated by the ancestors of your detractors.

All you who are rich now, you are in danger for you have received your comfort in full.

All you who are full now, you are in danger for you shall be hungry.

All you who laugh now, you are in danger for you shall grieve and cry.

And when everyone speaks well fo you, you are in danger for their ancestors spoke well of the false prophets too.” (Luke 6:20-26)

Rather than spending His energy to be approved of by the religious leaders who had the power and authority, Jesus spent His energy to be known by sinners. He did not seek after having a reputation for following the law as He did for showing mercy and being with those of no reputation.

Jesus took those who were fisherman with no formal education as his disciples and called them not to study the law like the Pharisees and follow every command possible, but to follow Him as He showed mercy and compassion to those in need.

Jesus sits on a hill and teaches His disciples and the crowds around him Matthew 5:3-10:

“Blessed are the spiritually poor – the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

 Blessed are the meek and gentle – they will inherit the earth.

 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness – they will be filled.

 Blessed are the merciful – they will be shown mercy.

 Blessed are those who are pure in heart – they will see God.

 Blessed are the peacemakers – they will be called children of God.

 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness – the kingdom of heaven is theirs."

These scriptures are about humility, meekness, mercy and kindness. They are about inclusion of others and moving towards others – even at their own expense.

When Jesus was asked by John's disciples if He was the Savior that was promised, He proclaimed in Matthew 11:4-5, “Go back and tell John the things you have heard and the things you have seen. Tell him you have seen the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers cured, the deaf hear, the dead raised, and the good news preached to the poor.”

Jesus chose to present Himself / wanted to be known for His mercy not specifically for His following the law. Jesus speaks about the kingdom of God being so much deeper than following the law.

In Matthew 5:20 He says, “For I tell you this: you will not enter the kingdom of heaven unless your righteousness goes deeper than the Pharisees', even more righteous than the most learned learner of the law.”

An example of Jesus confronting following the law versus following a path of mercy is in Matthew 12:1-7: “At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, 'Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.' He said to them, 'Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what it means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.'”

In reading The Voice paraphrase of the Bible, Matthew 11:6 says, “Blessed are those who understand what is afoot and stay on My narrow path.” The actual translation is, “"And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me."

Also, in Matthew 10:38, the writer of The Voice adds, “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow Me on the narrow road, then you are not worthy of Me.”

I have always associated being on the narrow path as not sinning – in following the commands. What is interesting is here it is associated with meekness and humility. It is also associated with receiving and embracing what comes with a death to self.

What does it look like to demonstrate mercy in a greater measure in our lives? What does it look like to let go in some cases of 'not sinning' and put more energy into being merciful to others?

Lord, I long that we would truly be the Church of Mercy. Show us in our day to day lives what it looks like to be more merciful to others without enabling. Grow us in mercy.