Beware of All Stereotypes

Scripture: And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!" Luke 5:26

Observation: Jesus has first forgiven the sins of the paralytic brought to him on a mat, and when the Pharisees who were present - so many Pharisees and teachers that the crowd prevented entry to the house - questioned Jesus' authority to forgive, he healed the paralytic. This, then, is their response to the healing ... amazement, glory given to God, fear in the Lord, and outward wonder of the thing they have seen that day.

In a few more verses, they will again challenge Jesus about eating a feast with "sinners" (tax collector friends of Levi, aka Matthew). However, even here there are two ways to read this. It could be a challenge of Jesus about dining with sinners. However, it could also just be a question. Verse 30 says they "complained" but then has them pose a simply question of "why" Jesus does this without any scriptural reference indicating a challenge to the act, and seemingly accepting his response.

From a simple reading, it seems likely that these scribes and Pharisees are ... genuinely learning from Jesus. They packed out a house to learn. They witnessed miracles, they explored Jesus' reasoning for how he behaved, and they came away from it not with anger and wrath, but with amazement and glorification of God. In fact, again from a simple reading, throughout the gospels we see Pharisees who at least respect, if not believe in, Jesus. When testing him, we see those who ultimately agree with his responses. When he teaches, we see some who simply listen. We even know that some in the Sanhedrin did not vote to convict Jesus in the end. Especially at this point, it seems these leaders were positively engaged with Jesus, and that likely some - maybe a minority, but some - remained positively engaged and even faithful.

Application: There is a stereotype of "Pharisees" that they were all opposed to Jesus because he threatened their status as keepers of the law, but as with all stereotypes that certainly cannot be true of all of them. Every Pharisee had their own choice to make about Jesus, and at least some chose wisely.

There is a joke statement that "all stereotypes are bad" ... an ironic statement stereotyping stereotypes. Yet I know I apply stereotypes to others. I struggle with certain people - often at work - and chalk it up to some attribute that I have attributed to them. Maybe it's a cultural issue, or a language barrier. I try not to do this, but ... I do.

I think I do this because it's easier to categorize and thus file away a difference of opinion as if it were a pre-ordained difference, instead of taking time to understand. I don't want to understand their position in case I find they're right and I'm wrong, and I don't want to take the time in case I find I'm right and they're wrong ... and in the exploration I now need to invest time to help them grow.

In this way, stereotyping others may be a way I fall short of loving others, because I do it to simply ... get beyond the person and not engage with them. If I want to love others, I should not use this excuse to brush past conversations. Like MOST of the Pharisees, I may find the original perception was accurate, but like ALL of the Pharisees, I will see that every action is an individual decision, and I will respect others enough to learn about them as individuals.

Prayer: Lord, I have struggled in the last few days with certain people. Please give me more patience with them, and allow me to slow down and lean into them. Not into their issues or topics, but into them as people. May I take the time to learn about them and their ideas, never presuming intent. Amen.