Devotions
Rev Gav
Accepted
Matthew 21.28–32
‘What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not”; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir”; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.
Reflect
Are you a tax collector or a prostitute?
You are probably thinking you are neither, and I doubt you are thinking you are both!
I am not ignoring the fact that some people, in our contemporary world, choose, with agency, to be either tax collectors or prostitutes, but in the ancient world both shared the commonality that they were despised and marginalised by society.
Jewish tax collectors were men who had colluded with the authoritarian overlords. They collected tax, typically on goods that passed through towns or regions, and to make a living, added a percentage to keep for themselves. This amount varied, and some abused their position by ‘overcharging’. Either way, they were making money for the oppressive, occupying government of the time. Tax collectors were typically banned from attending the synagogue, and would hang out, only with other tax collectors and their families, occupying a social ‘no man’s land’ between secular and sacred societies.
Jewish Prostitutes were women, typically from poor backgrounds, who had been forced into the line of work by their social circumstances (as happens when there are oppressive, occupying forces). Prostitutes sold their own bodies to make a living, and like the tax collectors, they were social outcasts and snubbed by the religious community.
The ancient world was not clear-cut and there were those, of course, who tried to encourage, help, and release the marginalised from their lifestyles, but in general terms both tax collectors and prostitutes were both considered ‘sinners’.
It is interesting to note that Jesus regularly picked both social categories — encompassing both male and female — as those he came to reach and those who would be first to embrace God’s kingdom.
In ancient Jewish culture, a ‘sinner’ was defined as someone who put themselves first, ahead of the Law of Moses. Today, because of Jesus Christ, we describe a ‘sinner’ as someone who puts themselves first, ahead of God, others, and the environment — and this means that those we might describe as tax-collectors or prostitutes — just like anyone else — may or may not be ‘sinners’. In other words, there is hope, because your lifestyle or trade no longer defines you as someone who is ‘in’ or ‘out’ with God.
A subsection of the Christian church, excruciatingly, continues to perpetuate a message that describes ‘sinners’ with regards to God’s law, and excludes people on this basis. This is wrong and needs to be called out.
Today’s message, in print, right there, on the pages of Matthew’s gospel, is a reminder of the wonderful saving grace of Jesus, and that no matter who you are or what you have done, sin itself has been redefined under the banner of Christ, and that there is a place for you in God’s family.
Photo by Alekon pictures on Unsplash
Pray
Holy God
Thank you that,
through Christ,
I am welcomed
and adopted
into your family.
Help me to put you,
others and the environment
before my own
needs and wants.
Thank you for the
saving grace of Jesus.
This day and forever.
and then