Our attitude to the Unlovely – Luke 5:27-32
Gladstone Baptist Church – 19/9/04
“It was a beautiful Sunday morning and people were filling the church to its fullest capacity. As they filed in, each were given a bulletin filled with announcements, a sermon outline, etc. At the end of the line stood an older man. His clothes were filthy and you could tell that he had not bathed in days. His face was covered in whiskers where he had not shaved for a very long time.
When he reached the door, he removed his tattered old brown hat in respect. His hair was long, dirty and tangled mess. He had no shoes on his feet, and wore only soiled, black socks.
The welcomer looked at the old man and said, ‘Uh. I’m sorry sir, but I’m afraid we can’t let you in. You will distract the congregation and we don’t allow anyone to disrupt our service. I’m afraid you’ll have to leave.’
The old man looked down at himself, he placed his old brown hat back on his head and turned to leave. He was respectful enough and didn’t want to cause any commotion, so he hung down his head and walked back down the steps of the big brick church. He sat down on the brick wall near the edge of the church yard and strained to listen through the closed doors and windows to the singing going on in the church. A few minutes had passed by when all of a sudden a younger man came up behind him and sat down near him. He asked the old man what he was doing.
He answered, ‘I was going to go to church today, but they thought I was filthy and my clothes are old and worn and they were afraid I would disrupt their service. Sorry I didn’t introduce myself. My name is George.’
The stranger reached to touch George’s shoulder and said, ‘Hello, George, don’t feel bad because they would not let you in. My name is Jesus and I’ve been trying to get into this same church for years, and they won’t let me in either.
I hope that our church isn’t like this one, but “What is our attitude towards Unlovely people”. It is all too easy for Christians – people like you and me – to forget that we are sinners who are forgiven and to pretend that we some sort of elite religious club that very few on the outside could ever measure up to.
Sometimes, Christians – like you and me – say we want to reach people for Jesus Christ, but we are not prepared to accept them as they are. We put on them a whole heap of requirements which must be met before they join our church. We expect them to change their appearance, come to church every week, giving up alcohol, smoking or a homosexual lifestyle before they are accepted. But having “change” everything before being “Accepted” is the wrong way around. Jesus “accepted” people as they were and then helped them make the necessary “changes” afterwards.
Today, I want us to look at an encounter that Jesus had with an Unlovely person - unlovely in the world’s eyes and the church’s eyes. While few in society would have been prepared to accept this person, Jesus did and He actually invited him into his closest of circles.
Turn with me in your bibles to Luke 5:27-39
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Jesus was still in the town of Capernaum. He has been ministering to people and healing people who had been spiritually oppressed, physically hindered and now he helps someone who is socially ostracised.
NOTICING the Unlovely
Jesus sees a tax collector named Levi (or Matthew as we are told in Matthew and Mark’s gospel). Now the Romans collected their taxes through a system called “tax farming.” They assessed a district’s wealth or potential and fixed a tax figure to it. Then they sold the right to collect taxes to the highest bidder. The successful contractor had to hand over that sum of money at the end of each year and could keep anything he gathered above that amount for himself. Zacchaeus was one such man who had tax contracts with the Romans. The successful contractor often had a whole heap of tax collectors he employed to collect the money for Him. Levi was one of these employees. The tax collectors could inspect the goods of travellers and levy a customs tax on the merchandise bought and sold. Levi would have likely been stationed at one of the various points of entry to the town or at the harbour, making sure that the taxes and levies were paid on all trades.
Since the tax rates were not always clear and so much depended on the initiative of the tax collector in raising revenue, it was easy for an unscrupulous tax collector to make himself rich. Now there is no indication in this passage that Levi was dishonest or that he was particularly rich. He may have been but we don’t know for certain.
What we do know is that all tax collectors were DESPISED by all Jews. Not only because more often than not, they were corrupt, but also, because their work among Gentiles invariably made them ceremonially unclean. That meant that they were not permitted to participate in many religious activities and good Jews were banned from eating with them lest they also become unclean. On top of this, they were collecting taxes for a foreign power. Israel was oppressed by the Romans, they were not a free country. Every tax levied and every tax collector reminded them that they were under Roman rule.
Tax collectors were therefore considered as traitors and sinners, along side the likes of prostitutes, gamblers, thieves and the like.
So Levi was one of these poor despised types. Possibly, wealthy, but definitely despised. Everyone would have noticed him in his little booth, as they walked by. They would have frowned at him or spat at him or cursed him under their breath.
Jesus however, responds to Levi very differently to other Jews. We read that Jesus saw Levi. It wasn’t just a casual observation, but the Greek word means that Jesus viewed with interest this tax collector. He notices a NEED and consider contemplatively what might be. And he approaches Levi and speaks 2 words “Follow Me.”
Just like every other person on this planet, Levi was a person who needed to know Jesus. We all have problems, Levi was no different. We all have needs, Levi was no different. He needed to brought into a saving relationship with God through His Son Jesus.
In each of our lives there are people who are unlovely, or despised or rejected. I wonder whether we notice the needs of these unlovely people? There might be a workmate who everyone else looks down on because they are a muslim. They sit by themselves every smoko because no one will let them sit with them. Oh there is nothing said, but everyone knows that they are the odd one out. But like Levi, they need to know Jesus and be invited to follow him.
It may be one of your neighbours that has a reputation. Their front yard is a pigsty. Their previous occupations were questionable, but now they just live off the dole. There are always noisy arguments coming from the house and the kids are unkempt. They are the unlovely ones in your street and everyone wishes they would move away. But like Levi, they need to know Jesus and be invited to follow him.
It may be a friend or a member of your family that is gay. They have rejected your family norms and are openly living a lifestyle which in your eyes is wrong. They don’t see anything wrong with what they are doing and they make you really uncomfortable. But like Levi, they need to know Jesus and be invited to follow him.
Jesus notices Levi long enough to want to do something to help Him. Every single one of us has unlovely people in our lives. We think they are unlovely, but Jesus sees them as a helpless child needed His love. Will we notice them long enough to want to do something to help them?
BEFRIENDING the Unlovely
Levi didn’t need a second invitation from Jesus. We are told (vs 28) that he got up and left everything and followed Jesus. This was a radical step for a Levi. He was leaving a well paying job with security and a future. And Leaving it for what? Who knows what the future would hold, but it sure didn’t stop Him.
In many respects, Levi gave up far more than Peter, James or John. These other disciples were fishermen. If it didn’t work out with Jesus, they could return to their trade. Even if they lost their equipment, they could use their knowledge and skills to work for someone else. But who would re-employ a tax collector who had walked out of a job. He hadn’t even given a second thought to closing up the office or securing the days takings. He just walked away. Levi would never work again in that profession - but He didn’t want to.
Levi had found a new friend.
Levi likely knew a lot about Jesus. Jesus had spent a lot of time in Capernaum and Levi had probably heard him teaching and seen what He had been doing. There was no real need to think twice and so Levi left to follow Jesus and in chapter 6:15, he is chosen to be one of Jesus, 12 apostles.
I think it is interesting that Jesus chose a tax collector to be on his INNER CIRCLE. He wasn’t scared of what others would think. He wasn’t scared of losing reputation. He had found a friend who was willing to follow Him.
Are we open to befriending Unlovely people? Often not. Our social circle or our circle of friends often precludes Unlovely people. Many of you sitting here today if I was to ask you to list your closest friends – would list all Christians. Some of you sitting here today would even struggle to name one non-Christian friend in your list of friends. And they are lovely people not unlovely people. Having Unlovely people as friends is so unlikely for many of us that it is way off our radar screens. Sometimes we exclude them consciously and sometimes we do it unconsciously
We need to remember that every Sinner comes with a HISTORY – A history which is dark and dirty which none of us like to think about. Every Sinner comes with a history, but every sinner also has a FUTURE.
We are not really any different to unlovely people. We all have a history – because we are all sinners who at one time didn’t know or follow Christ. We are lucky that someone took the time to befriend us and introduce us to Jesus. Our future is now assured.
Every human being is a sinner with a history and every human being needs a future with Jesus Christ. The challenge for us is to befriend them – whether they are lovely or unlovely - and look for opportunities to share Christ’s love with them. It may mean that we invite someone over for dinner. It may mean we cook some food for that unlovely neighbour. It may mean we sit in the lunch room with that lonely colleague.
Bill was a university student. He had wild unkempt hair wore a T-shirt with holes in it, old jeans and no shoes. This was his wardrobe for his entire four years at uni. Across the street from the uni was a very conservative church. One day Bill decides to go to church there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat.
The church is completely packed and he can’t find a seat so keeps walking down the aisle. The regular attenders are looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. A few people swallow their gasps and others crane their necks to see what is happening.
At about this time, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. He’s in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, a three-piece suit, and a pocket watch. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves, You can’t blame him for what he’s going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?
The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man’s cane. All eyes are focused on him. As he reaches the front, the elderly man drops his cane on the floor and with great difficulty he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships alongside him so he won’t be alone.
That is what befriending the unlovely looks like. We need to go to them and accept them as they are, not expect them to change and come to us.
It may cost us our reputation or even some friends, but Jesus showed us that popularity is not as important as the salvation of people
So first we need to notice the unlovely. Second we need to befriend the unlovely. Third we need to be willing to accept the Unlovely.
ACCEPTING the Unlovely
When Levi decided to go with Jesus, he does something tremendous. He doesn’t all of a sudden become all holy and pious. No he throws a party. He invites all his mates to come along and meet Jesus – the man who has given him a second chance, a new life.
It is important for us to see a couple of things here.
Firstly. Levi had chosen to follow Jesus, but this didn’t automatically mean that he cut himself off from all his non-Christian mates. No – he wanted them to come to know Jesus also. He didn’t want to be in heaven all by himself. He wanted his mates to be there too.
Too often when we call people to become Christians we tell them they have to give up seeing all their friends. But how are they ever going to bring their friends to know Jesus if they stop seeing them. Of course there will be new boundaries involved with being with old friends. The converted alcoholic may not be able to participate in the drinking binges. The converted homosexual, may not be able to participate in the previously acceptable sexual practices. When a person becomes a Christian, their behaviour needs to begin to change, not their mates. In actual fact, we should be encouraging people to keep contacts and friendships outside the church so that people’s close friends can see the radical changes that Christ brings.
Who were his mates? Well other tax collectors of course. And others who were despised. Matthew and Mark records that the guests at his banquet were other tax collectors and sinners. There were probably prostitutes there, corrupt government officials, criminals, etc, etc. All were alienated from Jewish religious life and so it is likely that they found their friends among others similarly rejected.
And this leads to the second thing I want you to note …
Secondly. Jesus was there at the party. Jesus accepted Levi as he was even BEFORE Levi had a lifestyle change. He didn’t sit him down and make a list of everything that needed to change - “bad language, friends, dishonesty, enjoyment of wine, wild parties, etc, etc.” He didn’t say – okay, now that you are one of us, come and join our circle of friends who are righteous, holy and pure and stop associating with your sinner friends. No Jesus accepted Levi as he was and even went with him to his social circle of friends whom he also accepted as they were.
Once Charlie Brown was upset at his dirty friend Pig-pen’s presence at the same party he was going to. Charlie Brown exclaimed, “Good grief! He didn’t even change clothes! I can’t believe it!” Charlie Brown then proceeded to lecture Pig-pen, “You’re not going to Violet’s birthday party looking like that?!!”
Pig-pen looked at himself and asked, “So what’s wrong?”
Charlie Brown threw his hands in the air and said, “So what’s wrong?! You’¦re a mess, that’s what’s wrong!! They won’¦t even let you in the house, Pig-pen! They’ll bar you at the door!”
Pig-pen said, “Oh, I don’t think so...¨
Charlie Brown raised his voice: “Of course, they will! You won’t be welcome at all! Your appearance will be insulting”
Before Charlie Brown could finish his words, the door swung opened, and Violet invited them in: “Well! Pig-pen! Come in! Come on in! How nice to see you! How nice of you to come”
Pig-pen brought out a gift and presented it to Violet with both his hands. Violet gushed, “Oh, thank you! You shouldn’¦t have!”
As Violet left them, Pig-pen turned around, closed his eyes, thumbed his nose at Charlie Brown, and declared, “The present was clean!”
Jesus called Levi and others to himself as imperfect sinners and accepted them because their present was clean. Their hearts and the motives which they offered up to God were clean when they asked Him to save them. Yes they were carrying a lot dirty baggage still, but that was okay. Jesus accepted them as sinners and allowed them time to be transformed. Think about it – transformation takes time. Many of the apostles who were fairly decent people to begin with had major flaws even after 3 years of constant teaching by Jesus. How long is it going to take an unlovely person to change.
When someone becomes a Christian, we can’t expect to immediately be able to control that bad temper or to immediately give up an addictive habit. Some times, praise God, He does gives people the power to make radical changes immediately, but this is not always the case. All of us have bad habits that plague us year after year and a new Christian comes with many bad habits.
So Jesus doesn’t demand Levi change everything immediately and condemn Him when he doesn’t. Jesus accepts the unlovely as they are and goes to work to bring the changes that will make them more like God.
In stark contrast to Jesus, were the Pharisees. They were not joining in the party – but were watching from a distance. There was no way in the world they would have been seen eating with sinners. In that culture, to share a meal with a person showed that you accepted them as a person and by implication accepted their conduct. The Pharisees reserved their company for those who were righteous and holy. To associate with any others would have made them unclean. Unlovely people like Levi and his friends would need to change and become upright and holy before being acceptable to the Pharisees.
This is the complete opposite of what Jesus modelled who accepted people before changes took place. I wonder what we ask unlovely people to do before we accept them? Maybe its give up drinking, give up a homosexual lifestyle, come to church each Sunday.
The Pharisees approached Jesus’ disciples and question their actions … “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners.” The real guts of the complaint is “Why are your disciples able to enjoy life, while we merely endure it?” The comparison is not very favourable for the religious leaders. The sinners are celebrating and the religious leaders are complaining. The sinners are happy, the Pharisees are sad. The sinners are enjoying life, the Pharisees are enduring it. The miserable life that the Pharisees lived attracted no one.
It is a stark contrast isn’t it. Often we make Christianity into a stale, boring, unappetising faith which would attract no one. Everyone else is having fun and enjoying life and we are tied up with a whole set of rules and regulations. I am going to be speaking about this a bit more next week when we tackle the next 6 verses which speak about traditionalism.
But the question for today is “what should our attitude be towards the unlovely?” Will we notice them, befriend them and accept them because in doing so, we open up all sorts of opportunities for showing God’s love.
Jesus’ answer the Pharisees question was that it was not the healthy that needed a doctor, but the sick. Jesus came not to call the righteous (for they don’t need salvation), but the sinners.
I’m sure the Pharisees would have been quite pleased at this statement, because they regarded themselves as righteous. But the fact of the matter is that they were sinners too and needed God’s forgiveness as much as anyone else.
Jesus came to heal the sick and whether we like to admit it, that includes the unlovely people of this world and it includes us. Jesus calls us to Notice unlovely people and see their NEEDS. He calls us to befriend unlovely people and be INTENTIONAL about doing so. And He calls us to accept unlovely people as they are before they CHANGE. These 3 steps are what we need to bring people into a relationship with Jesus Christ which is what we are on about in this church. I wonder who it is in your life that is unlovely. We can either choose to be like the Pharisees or like Jesus in our response to them. One is to shun them until they line up with our expectations. The other is to accept them as they are and share with them God’s life-changing truth.
I want to challenge you this week to look out for unlovely people. They are people in need of a saviour. Notice them, befriend them and accept them and you might just be surprised how God uses you to change their lives.
