Living Stones – Monday, January 8, 2018
Reputation
Matthew 9:11
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Today’s political, corporate, and even religious reputation is carefully curated through a series of well-planned appearances, carefully orchestrated photo-ops, and well-placed Op-Eds to ensure the right image and positioning for the person occupying or aspiring to some high rank or office.
When we are building someone’s reputation for a position we want them to run for in the future all calls are screened and any meetings with unsavoury characters, when really necessary, take place behind closed doors and off the official record. And all written communication is filtered through the PR specialists and a battery of lawyers.
Jesus just showed up.
Jesus just showed up without thinking twice about how this particular event, with these unsavoury characters, was going to affect His reputation. He met Matthew, a man clearly with a dubious reputation, and invited him to become one of His disciples. Matthew abandoned the highly visible and highly profitable tax collector’s booth and became a disciple of Jesus. Matthew, wanting his friends to know that he quit, and wanting them to meet the Jesus who was the reason he quit, held an event at his house in Jesus’ honour.
Naturally, Matthew’s friends and associates were, for the most part, persons of equally unsavoury character. There was no Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram but long before social media people displayed antisocial behaviour. They would as we say, mind your business, and then spread the word so that others could come and see.
Word got around that this Jesus, who was revered as a Rabbi, one with a growing number of disciples, one about whom word was spreading because of His miracles, one about whom the establishment was growing increasingly concerned, had shown up at a house party at Matthew’s.
Well, it doesn’t end there, “when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”” Matthew 9:11. We would be foolish to think that the Pharisees were concerned about Him ruining His reputation and were looking to warn Jesus, through His disciples, that this was not a good place to be and not good company to keep.
Rather, they were saying, we caught Him. Tax collectors, as we have already observed, were despised by the people because of their role in implementing and enforcing the Roman tax system, but also, through a system of corruption they exploited some, gave favour to others, and personally profited immensely from it. Tax collectors were excluded from the temple and synagogues and as you see, were equated with sinners.
But there were also questioning his credentials, if He were a real Rabbi and a true prophet, there are things He would know or at least discern. And certainly, He would not have been with these unsavoury characters.
This is not the last time that they made this case. Later, there was an incident at the house of a Pharisee named Simon, where a woman came in with an alabaster box of perfume and washed Jesus feet with her tears and dried them with her hair, and then anoint them with the fragrant oil from her alabaster box. Quite a scene I’d say. But here’s where Simon’s at, “Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”” Luke 7:39.
The need to guard your reputation is simple to understand, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.” Proverbs 13:20. More commonly put, show me your company and I’ll tell you who you are, or yet again, birds of a feather flock together.
Many a powerful man has been brought down because of that one recording that was discovered, or that one memo that was released, or that one woman he was with two decades ago, or that one meeting he took and thought nobody knew. The result is that guarding one’s reputation is the top priority.
Jesus, however, had already given up His reputation, just by being here, so that there was no ruin that could come to His reputation by hanging out with a former prostitute, current tax collectors, and some really nasty sinners. Jesus had already “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:7.
Because Jesus didn’t have to focus on His reputation He could focus on people and their needs. And so he responded to the “paparazzi” and those who loved to mind other people’s business, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Then He added, “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Matthew 9:12-13.
If we could get ourselves into the centre of the will of God we could leave our reputation to God and focus on people and their needs. You would roll up your sleeves and get dirty. You would get caught on camera and not be worried. Once people got their healing and deliverance, and God got the glory, your reputation would be a non-issue.
Think on these things:
- How hard do you work on building and maintaining your reputation?
- Do you take risks in order to help people, by going to places or by meeting people that some of your friends and relatives may frown on?
- Would you be willing to risk your reputation for the Glory of God?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that we would find our way into the centre of the will of God where we could focus on people and meeting their needs.
In His Grace
Pastor Alex
