Getting up with Fleas - May 8

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 56, 57, [58]; PM Psalm 64, 65; Wisdom 9:1, 7-18; Col. (3:18-4:1)2-18; Luke 7:36-50

There were statements I heard from my father often when I was growing up. When I would go on a trip or somewhere without my parents I was always told “Remember who you are, and who you represent.” If I asked one of the millions of ‘what if’ questions, my father would always respond, “What if the Earth cracks open and swallows you whole.”  And when he was especially critical of the company I kept, “When you lay down with dogs, you get up fleas.” 

Now, as much time has passed from the litany of annoying parental inquiries and ideologies, I can look back on the words of my father with a little more charity.  I get his point, and there is truth that when you surround yourself around people who want to make the world better, you are much more likely to be a better person. 

The Gospel message for today is quite different. It is the seemly good-natured Pharisee, whom most parents would be glad their son is spending time with, who is critical of Jesus’s inclusion of a woman who is named as a sinner. You get the impression that Jesus would have stood up with fleas after spending time with this woman. In fact, Jesus uses the person who is so offensive to the Pharisees as the model for faithfulness and a reminder that our judgments often completely miss the mark. 

I remember walking in downtown Nashville years ago and seeing a sign on a church, “Sinners welcome, no Saints allowed.” I love the sentiment. We are all broken people in need of God’s grace. While it can be exceptionally beneficial and helpful to surround ourselves with people who have grown in their faith and can model for us what it means to be faithful, the inverse is also true – you could be that person for someone else. 

So hang out with a sinner. You might get up with fleas, or you might teach another about God’s love and grace.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  Who are the people in your life who have been a positive influence on you?  Can you think of people who might list you as one of their positive influences? 

Daily Challenge:  Write a letter to one of the people you have thought of experiencing gratitude for their influence.