Jesus' Bias

I woke up to world that was soaking wet. It had rained all night. But being the good dog mom that I am, I took my dogs for a walk anyway. On the way, I found a wet abandoned dog outside my neighbor, Steve’s house. His car was gone. The lights at his porch were on, and the dog was soaked to the skin. Steve is an active alcoholic. We regularly see him falling down or stumbling around, but I know he loves that dog.

I was sure he would come back soon to be with his dog but after my walk the dog was still there. So, I tried the door which was unlocked, and let the dog in.

After some investigation I found out that Steve had been arrested and was in jail for DUI. After I got help for the dog I came to terms with the fact that I was feeling angry, judgmental, and disgusted at Steve. What a dumb thing to do. Who leaves their dog out all night? He should not even have a dog. But I was finally able to find a softer place knowing that Steve suffers from a disease that has cost him his wife, his daughter, all his friends and his dignity. Nobody does that on purpose. But my grace is so limited. My grace is so conditional. My grace is stingy.

Stories of the events after Easter challenge me to see a God that simply can’t seem to stop loving us or extending grace no matter what we’ve done or who we are.

In the words of one of my favorite authors, Brian McClaren,

“What might happen if every Easter we celebrated the resurrection not merely as the resuscitation of a single corpse nearly two thousand years ago, but more as the ongoing resurrection of all humanity through Christ? “ Brian McClaren

I can’t believe that I studied and read scripture all my life and it feels like only recently I have begun to see how truly radical Jesus’ message is. It cuts across social norms and challenges us to be very counter-cultural people. It is not convenient.

The after-Easter stories are full of Jesus’ bottomless grace. As I read recently in Richard Rohr’s books, Jesus had a strong bias toward the bottom. Worthiness, success, power, and security are all turned on their ear when encountered by Jesus’ grace.

So after his resurrection, He did not appear to the power brokers of His day. He did not seek to validate Himself. There were no golden thrones or plans for retribution. Rather, He showed Himself with tenderness and grace to the “bottom” people… A woman, strangers, a man who had trouble believing, and worn out, washed up, afraid fishermen.

The Woman

Her story is long and woven throughout the Gospel narratives, so I will just give you the highlights. She was met by Jesus and delivered from seven evil spirits ( maybe some sort of mental disorder). She was an outcast. She was “discarded”.

After that healing she never left Jesus side. She donated money and travelled with the disciples to help with all the chores and details of their travels.

She was the only one of His followers who stayed at the cross after everyone else had fled.

In the dark before dawn she was the first to go to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with oil ( a sign of affection).

After His disciples had come and reviewed the scene, she was the only one who stayed behind. And there she cried.

The Gardener

Startled she heard a noise and looked up to see the gardener, a common laborer, standing there with her. Think of it…Jesus, risen from the dead appears for the first time with dirt under His fingernails, dressed in ragged workmen’s clothing. For good reason she did not recognize Him. And then He simply spoke her name.

But that name was spoken with such tenderness and such compassion she knew immediately that only Jesus would have spoken it like that. She knew it was Him.

TWO STRANGERS

Two unnamed men were leaving Jerusalem after all the tumult of the last several days. They talked intently with one another trying to make sense of all the events that had just transpired. A man joined them as they walked the seven miles to their home. Casually, He asked what they had been talking about. Incredulously they asked if he’d been “under a rock” the last few days. They proceeded to rehearse the events of the last three days. When they had finished, He simply began to explain Biblical prophesies made hundreds of years earlier that pointed to these events. Would they wake up? Would they figure it out? Not yet.

When they finally reached home they extended common hospitality to Him by inviting Him to stay and have dinner. He accepted their invitation and sat at their table enjoying a meal. But when He broke the bread and thanked God for it they instantly recognized that this was indeed, Jesus. Then He disappeared.

A DOUBTER

Thomas, one of the disciples heard the story that Jesus was alive, but like many of us He had a hard believing it all. It was too preposterous, too absurd to be true. So he blurted out that unless he stuck his fingers in Jesus’ wounded side and saw the holes in His hands he would never believe. A week after the resurrection as the disciples huddled fearfully behind locked doors, Jesus appeared to them. His first words were not disgust or anger at their cowardice and unbelief. Rather, He simply said, “Peace be with you”. Then He looked directly at Thomas. He invited Thomas to put his finger into His side and touch His hands. There was no criticism or humiliation.

FISHERMEN

Peter had had enough of sitting around discussing Jesus. Why had he ever left his village, his profession, his family to follow this man who was a huge disappointment? He probably pounded his fist on the table and announced that he was going BACK to what he knew. He’d fallen for a lie and he was going fishing.

The other disciples got up and followed him. Getting into their boat they fished all night long. These men who were professional fishermen, did not catch one single fish all night long. They had followed Jesus and that hadn’t turned out so well. They had gone back to what they knew, and that hadn’t turned out so well either. Exhausted, disillusioned, and discouraged the dawn began to break. Off in the distance stood a vaguely familiar man. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you caught any fish? Try throwing your nets on the other side of the boat.” Who was this guy telling THEM how to fish and calling them “friends”? Didn’t He know that you don’t catch fish in the morning when the fish can see the net? However His invitation was so compelling that they threw logic aside and did it anyway. You probably know their nets filled with so many fish that their boat almost sank. As they got to shore they saw a fire burning. Fish and bread were being cooked for breakfast. After a long night of hard labor the smell of cooking food must have been so welcoming. The Man said, “Come and have breakfast”. Then they knew it was Him. Jesus did not scold them or treat them with disgust or disappointment. They were met with love, and kindness, generosity, and invitation.

Do you see the pattern?

Women: Treated as second class citizens. Relegated to serving the men. Less than. Not as smart as….

Strangers: “Stay away from strangers,” we are told. “They aren’t like us. They speak differently. They eat different food and wear different clothes. They aren’t our kind”.

A doubter: No more mercy for this guy. He had seen all Jesus’ miracles. He had been on the inside and heard all of Jesus’ teachings and still didn’t get it. He was not worthy of any more mercy. He’d had his chance and he’d blown it.

Fishermen: What on earth would it take for these guys to understand? For three years he had poured his whole energies into teaching them. They were a lost cause. Let them go back to their stupid fish. They weren’t worth His time anymore.

A woman, strangers, a doubter, and fisherman. That’s what Jesus did after His resurrection.

Can we understand if we can stop making Easter about an event in the past, we can, instead respond to the invitation to a live our lives in their ordinariness as people who see and love the “bottom”? Can we become people who are raised from the deadness of fear, hostility, exclusion, and violence? Can we be people who are strong, benevolent, peacemakers, enemy lovers, offense forgivers, and boundary crossers?

Brian McClaren writes: “I can imagine Easter being an invitation for us to constantly celebrate newness , freedom, change, and growth. Can Easter invite us to welcome the outcast, the strangers, the aliens, the refugees, and people of other religions or no religion at all?”

“Oh tender loving God, please give us hearts to care for the world with your heart. Give us compassion to see in each wounded, marginalized soul our own souls so in need of your grace. May we both experience and extend this love to ourselves first and then to all those we encounter….even our alcoholic neighbors.” Amen