Live on the Border
by Don Watson
Luke records a very important story for this generation of Christians. Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem and stops at a border town between Galilee and Samaria where he meets 10 lepers – nine Jews and one Samaritan. He tells them to go show themselves to the priests and while they were on their way, they were healed. Immediately, one of them and only one, returns to Jesus, and glorifies God – the Bible says, "With a loud voice." Then he falls on his face at Jesus' feet and thanks him. What an intriguing story! But it's not done. Luke adds, "and he was a Samaritan." No wonder he glorified God really loud. No Jewish town would believe that God healed a Samaritan. He hardly believed it himself! Being a Samaritan, he had often been reminded, completely disqualified him for God's favor, but here he is…healed.
I believe that if God is going to use us to heal, like He did Jesus, we must live on the border between Galilee and Samaria. We must intentionally put ourselves in a place where we can reach across all prejudicial borders and heal whoever is hurting on either side. We must live between blacks and whites, Asians and Hispanics, rich and poor, ignorant and educated, gays and straights, bond and free, Republicans and Democrats, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Atheists. And our purpose must be the same as Jesus – to heal.
Now, this was not the first time Jesus crossed paths with Samaritans. He met a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well and asked her for a drink of water. Then He explained the good news about God who loved people exactly as they are and the entire town ended up accepting Jesus as the Messiah. Another time Jesus told this story about a Jewish guy who got robbed and beaten. Some religious people passed by, but left him there on the side of the road to die. At great cost to himself, a Samaritan was the only one who would help. He was the hero of the story, the neighbor, the one who loved like the Father. It is never easy to live on the border. We will constantly be called on to love at great personal cost to ourselves. If there is no cost, we are not on the border.
So we think we get it. Sure, some people are still prejudiced like the Jews and Samaritans were back then, but by and large, we do pretty good. After all, hasn’t our country eliminated the worst elements? But I would like to suggest this story is in the Bible because God knows there is a sick and infected part of our fallen humanity that desperately needs to be removed and healed lest it destroy our reason for existence as the Body of Christ. "And Jesus answering said, 'Were there not ten cleansed, but where are the nine? Why is it that none but this stranger returned to give God glory?' "(Luke 17:11-18)
“Where were the nine” – the religious, the Christians. Leprosy should have eliminated all the arguments about who was a sinner. In the mind of a Jew, if you contracted this dreaded disease, you were the worst of sinners. So being a Samaritan hardly affected the equation, if any. Leprosy leveled the ground – much to the dismay of any leprous Israelite. What a great lesson, right? I mean, we're all lepers, aren't we? – not just the prostitutes, adulterers, thieves, gays, and Muslims. But the way we criticize, condemn, and judge others in our society you would think we don't know we are lepers. Like those nine Jewish men, we've forgotten who we are – sinners saved by Grace – not because of any good we have done. When these nine discovered they were healed, their reaction (I believe) was not joy, so much as justification. "I guess God realized He made a mistake and sent this prophet to correct it." In other words, "Healing is what we really deserved, because we're Jews." They weren't grateful, that's why they didn't come back.
So what do we think we deserve, because we're Christians? More blessings? More protection? Safe travel because of our prayers? Healing because of our faithfulness? Do we deserve our good life because of our righteous work ethic? Do the people starving in Africa or the homeless under the Jefferson Street bridge deserve what they get because they’re heathens or don't work hard enough? Are they lazy and we are diligent? And even if that is true, do I deserve healing and not them? Aren't my sins just as numerous? Maybe different sins, but no better. Does God treat us as we deserve, or "according to His loving kindness?"
So among the nine Jewish lepers there was no gratefulness for their healing. They decided, who they were, qualified them for the favor of God and, who the Samaritan was, disqualified him. But Jesus didn't require the change of this Samaritan, He healed him WHILE he was still a Samaritan. So it's no wonder He was loudly grateful.
This is the basis of the gospel – relationship with a God who loves us unconditionally and accepts us exactly as we are. In fact, God distinguishes His love from our love in this: “WHILE we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. What He's saying is so important and powerful if we will accept it. We might love the good people around us, help them, bail them out, bless them, but God says His love is vastly different. When we are at our worst, he died for us. And that is what the nine religious lepers missed out on. Life is not about being leprosy-free, but grace-full. The Samaritan, because he knew he was unclean, a dog, and a sinner returned to thank the One who showed him such amazing grace, and in the process, he met God and discovered who He was. The result was a grace relationship with God. The nine lepers missed out on the most important thing – relationship. And there are so many Christians who may have been healed, and got their ticket to heaven, but missed out on Jesus Himself. Living on the border is about living with Jesus.
A lot of us as Christians have begun to embrace the Good News about the God of Grace. We’re tired of a kind of religion that judges and condemns and criticizes. We want to feel (No, we need to feel) that God loves, accepts, and forgives us exactly as we are, but amazingly there is an element in all of us that is like the nine lepers. We believe we deserve God's acceptance of us exactly as we are, because of who we are and what we have done, but Hindus, Muslims, Jews, and Atheists do not. We are glad God loved us while WE were sinners, but the homeless don't deserve a few bucks because they would buy beer. We feel our circumstances deserve innumerable chances from God while we're sinners, but someone who is lazy deserves nothing until they change, get off their duffs and work. We are like the men who worked all day for a fair wage who got upset that God dealt with others according to grace. The truth is, none of us deserve anything, do we? And so, those of us who are recipients of grace, God calls to live on the border and give grace to others.
One aspect of grace and agape love is the YaDa – the Hebrew word for physical love. (Adam knew (Yada) his wife again and she bare a son” – Gen 4:25). It means "To Know" "To intimately know". The way God calls us to live on the border and eradicate prejudice is to know that person so well that you understand who they are and why, what they believe and why they believe it, and what they do and why they do it. You may not agree with them, but you KNOW them. God has not called us to agree, but to understand, appreciate, and love them. "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35).
So live on the border. Intentionally engage the people you are different from – not to debate or convince or condemn, but to know and unconditionally love. Perhaps in the process God may use you, like Jesus, to heal them all – Samaritans and Jews, religious and non-religious, Muslims and Hindus, Atheists and Agnostics, Saints and Sinners, Baptists and Adventists, Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, and Whites.
Live on the Border and love them all.
Don,
Once again, you have delivered a timely message to challenge us toward real, effective ministry in the model of Jesus.
To what you have said I would add only that we need the experience of suffering so we can recognize when others are going through a familiar trial. It is in those moments God is able to move on our hearts with sympathy and empower us to reach beyond our prejudices to share His love.
Our daughter is learning-disabled and for many years had severe behavioral problems that were a huge and difficult challenge for us. I remember one day while walking through the mall I saw a family with a child behaving in a similar way. The parents were obviously trying to remain in control but were reaching the end of their endurance. I could read it on their faces, particularly the father's. So I detoured their direction, put my hand on his shoulder and said, "Hang in there, Dad. You can get through it." The next thing I knew he had thrown his arms around me, was crying on my shoulder and thanking me for understanding! I never learned his name. I just knew on-sight what he was going through and how important a timely bit of encouragement could be at a very stressful time.
Unfortunately, over the years when we were going through difficult times it was people outside the Adventist Church who more often helped us in meaningful ways. What we got mostly from church members was glib reassurances about God taking care of us. So I determined that, when I was able, I would be more aware of needs among others in the church and do more than speak meaningless phrases. I would take action. It has been a very rewarding experience that I highly recommend.
Dear William, I totally agree. What a wonderful and important addition to the subject. You put flesh and skin onto the bones of what my heart wished to share. I am struggling myself with how I can become more intentional to live on the border and, as you so effectively stated, "do more than speak meaningless phrases." Thank you for your challenge.
Don,
The way to quit struggling is to immerse yourself in pursuing the daily, intimate guidance of the Holy Spirit. Watch to see how He puts you in situations where you have the opportunity to touch others with God's love. Give from what He has already given you and He will provide even more to do and give.
An approach I take in my ministry is partnering. I take the time to get to know people and ask questions helping me to know more precisely how what help they receive can be most effective. For example, we have an elderly widow friend who is on a fixed income and cannot drive. My wife drives her to the store, the doctor, etc. Sometimes I get a call to stop at the grocery store on my way home and pick up a few things she needs, or a prescription at the pharmacy. We pay for the items and never ask for reimbursement because God always provides the resources to do it the next time it is needed. There is a young family in our church who are struggling to rebuild their financial independence after having their business fail and having to move in with her parents. We really identify with them because we've been through a similar experience. This last Friday night I got to thiniking about them and felt God urging me to write them a check. I shared it with my wife. She suggested that we wait until morning and if I still felt impressed, then to write it. First thing Sabbath morning she asked if it was still on my mind. It was. She wrote the check. I put it in an envelope and slipped it to the husband in Sabbath School. When he saw it he asked what it was for. "I'm sure you can put it to good use," was my reply. That evening he called to thank us. They had some bills to pay and no idea where the money would come from. In our conversation I learned that their car needs some maintenance work. Well, guess what? We have an auto mechanic in our church who loves to do such work on a volunteer basis. I'm going to pay for the parts and supplies and he's going to do the work.
Ask God to show you what He wants you to do, then get started on an amazing and rewarding adventure.
Beautiful ideas, William. And when we immerse ourselves in the Holy Spirit, He tailors activities that are suited for us in particular, rather than a blanket, one size fits all, approach. Thanks again.
Thank you for this post. Living on the border was one of the most radical things Jesus did, and it upset the religious establishment of his day greatly. May we all be filled with his reckless love.