Street Wisdom

Are you judged by the company you keep?

Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him-that she is a sinner.' - Luke 7:39

In today's Gospel, Jesus accepts an invitation to dine at the house of a Pharisee.

Now Jesus has a reputation for challenging the Pharisees about their religious practices.  He often accuses them of being shallow, outwardly adhering to rituals, but inwardly failing to live their meaning.

So, I was surprised to see that Jesus accepted the invitation, knowing he would be closely watched for signs he was not what he claimed to be.  And so when the known sinner comes to him, the Pharisee takes notice.

Let's ignore the fact that the Pharisee, who knows of this woman, allowed her to enter his home, making us wonder if he set this encounter up.  After all, the woman had a bottle of expensive perfume.

It would change the whole story, wouldn't it?

But what captured my interest in the story is the judgment made by the Pharisee upon seeing the woman touch Jesus.

He is not concerned for Jesus' safety, but that Jesus may not be a true prophet who would know such things.

Have you ever experienced something like that, where those in the know look down upon you for not knowing, when your position or station in life demanded such knowledge?

I often have people come to me to warn me about others who come to the food pantry or soup kitchen.  They want me to know that they have been around and they know what type of person he or she is.

I can tell which are concerned for my wellbeing and which want me to know how much street wisdom they have acquired, giving them something real to be proud of.

I guess that is how the Pharisee was acting.  I know and you don't.

In the end, though, Jesus didn't care what sins the woman had committed.  He was more interested in her faith and actions.

Maybe that is how we should be toward each other.  Accepting and knowing based on what is presented to us by the person, and not by the reputation placed on them by others.

Ah.  But then we might look the fool.

Something to consider.

More to come...