There are some people you enjoy. You know the people who always know the way to make you feel good? They understand the way you enjoy the rest of the world and do their best to avoid your pet peeves. Hopefully, you have a loved one who is like this.
This is not about those people. This is about the other people. The people who know just how to push your buttons, and do it frequently. The people who always find a way to say just the wrong thing. The folks who always pop up at the most inopportune times to make your life more difficult. Or perhaps you don’t know these people personally at all, and they just annoy you, because everything they do seems to be different than how you prefer or think is right. Most people in our lives fall somewhere in the middle of those extremes, but the fact remains that our lives are comprised of a lot of “us” and “them.”
In the book of Matthew, which is specifically a narrative compilation of Jesus’ life, there are a number of different stories told about what Jesus is doing. And while we might assume that they are grouped the way they are because of a timeline, there are actually other reasons these stories might appear next to each other. In Matthew 8, there are a couple of stories about Jesus performing miracles for people. He does this a lot, you might think, so what’s the big deal?
In Matthew 8:1, Jesus heals a man with leprosy. This is a major disease that plagued a lot of people throughout that part of the world, and those who suffered from it were considered not just physically unwell, but spiritually unwell because it was (falsely) assumed that their physical afflictions were the repercussions of misdeeds/sins from either them or their ancestors. To come into contact with one of these people would also make you spiritually unclean. And yet, you see Jesus healing them.
The next story is about Jesus healing the servant of a young Roman officer. Let’s keep in mind that the Romans were the occupying force oppressing the Jews (God’s chosen people). This officer likely spent much of his time carrying out this work by subjecting Israelites to discipline if they stepped out of line, and he would have been hated for it among Jesus’ people. And yet, because of his faith, Jesus brings about a miracle.
To drive the point home, Jesus then heals many people, from all different stages of life and socioeconomic settings. The point is clear: whether you are rejected and shunned by the rest of society, or even on the outside of religious “righteousness,” God’s love is for everyone. Throughout the next couple of chapters, Jesus shows that his love is for all, regardless of who they are. We can get really good at loving the people who are like us… but it still begs the question: how well do you love them?
Questions for reflection:
- When you think about your patience and kindness – does it have a limit to who receives it?
- Where might be an opportunity to love someone else this week that might not be in your regular circles?