The man referenced below had made a mess of things, especially with his wife. He spent years in prison thinking about the damage he left in his wake. As his release date approached, he wrote her one last letter:
“I’m almost out. My train will pass by the house. If you can forgive me, tie a white ribbon on the old oak tree in front. If there’s no ribbon, I’ll keep going and never come back. I won’t bother you again.”
The days dragged on, and soon, he was on the train, heading toward what could be his final chance at redemption. As the train neared the house, his hands shook. He couldn’t bear to look. Too much was riding on that one small ribbon. So, he asked the guy sitting across from him.
“Do me a favor,” he said, voice low. “Can you look out the window for me when we pass a house with an old oak tree? Let me know if there’s a white ribbon tied on it.”
The stranger nodded and glanced out the window as the train slowed. The ex-con held his breath, waiting for the verdict.
After a long silence, the stranger spoke.
“I don’t see one ribbon.”
His heart sank. It was over. He felt like he’d been hit all over again by the weight of his choices.
The stranger continued. “I don’t see one ribbon. I see hundreds of them, maybe more—hanging from the branches, the fence, the ribbons are everywhere.”
Stunned, the man stood up, tears burning his eyes. He grabbed his bag, barely able to speak.
“It means she’s forgiven me. I’m going home.”
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We love columns, don’t we? Nice, neat columns to categorize people to one side or the other. In the story above, the ex-con, in a sense, left the ranks of the bad guys and joined the good guys. Since we all predictably slot ourselves in the good column, never to be associated with the bad column people over there, the ex-con is one of us; he’s on our team.
Let’s pretend for a moment that the longsuffering wife and her husband live down the street from you. They’re the couple with the white ribbon décor in their yard. Let’s also say the husband has grown overly fixated on the American political landscape lately, which makes sense during an election year. The only problem is that he’s aligned himself with the party you dislike most. Go ahead and assign him to one column or the other, Red or Blue, Donkeys or Elephants, but you have to pick the party you disdain most.
You know precisely what it feels like every time you drive by his house. You cannot not see the detestable yard signs, at least detestable in your estimation, littering his lawn and dirtying your neighborhood. It gets so under your skin. You can’t avoid his posts, which are the most distasteful of any out there, promoting every rotten tenant of his party’s platform. Remember, you must assign him to one side of the aisle, Elephant or Donkey, Red or Blue, whichever you despise most.
Stop here for a second. This next part applies ONLY to followers of Christ. Do you have love in your heart for said neighbor? And by “love,” I’ll add an insight for theology nerds: I’m referring to the unconditional love for others, or Agape in Greek, meaning it’s entirely undeserved. Since Christians are the recipients of God’s lovingkindness more than any people in the world, shouldn’t we be the quickest to extend lovingkindness to others?
If you have been redeemed by Christ and replied, “No way. I have no love for this man,” let me tell you that you are grossly in the wrong.
· [Agape] love your enemies and do good to them. Lk. 6:35
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You might try to wiggle off the hook by saying, “I have no enemies.” Really? “Enemy” defined can refer to someone particularly odious to you. Politics seem to draw out these distinctions more than any place else.
Here’s a test. I’ve included two versions of the same parable below. I want you to personally apply the second version by filling in the blanks, which, by the way, is a theologically appropriate exercise. It’s okay to identify parallels between biblical figures and ourselves. The term Parable comes from two Greek words: para, meaning “close beside” and ballo, meaning “to cast.” Put together, they are “a teaching aid cast alongside a truth being taught.” A few things to notice:
· In verse 11, can you determine if the religious guy is praying to God or himself?
· Look at verse 9. In whom is Jesus’ audience placing their trust? God or themselves?
· Watch for the continued usage of “I”, the middle letter of sin. The self-righteous man employs “I” five times within a few sentences.
· Did the tax-collector perceive himself as merely a sinner, or the sinner in verse 13?
Version 1 The Tax Collector and Pharisee – Luke 18 – 9And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11“The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13“But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14“I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Version 2 The Tax Collector and Me – Luke 18 – 9And He also told this parable to [____________ your name] who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed [R / D] with contempt: 10“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one was [____________ your name] and the other a [R / D] 11“[____________ your name] stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this [R / D]. 12‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13“But the [R / D], standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14“I tell you, this [R / D] went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Let me be clear: I stand guilty on all charges here. Please don’t hold it against me. I’m still under construction. I am a work in progress. Last Sunday, I was driving to church and passed by that guy in my neighborhood. I’ve wrongly considered him to be “the opposition” for years. His crimes? Yard signs that I detest and posts I can’t stand. But here I am, a “minister,” who found myself snarling my lip as I passed him by. Basically, I assigned myself to the really good guys column and him to the bad without an ounce of love or compassion. So much for the white ribbon story. That’s messed up.
The true Pharisee was me (i.e., Lord, thank you, I’m not like him), which is worst of all. Could it be that those whom we consider to be the bad guys win in November? If for no other reason than to remind us that maybe we, “the good guys,” aren’t quite so good after all? I’m beginning to wonder.
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Jesus said, for those who have ears to hear, let them hear. – Jesus |
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