Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 4:21-30
Key verse: “Love never ends.” 1 Corinthians 13:8
Is there a person in your life that you love dearly and would do anything to keep your relationship intact? Your unconditional love might seem odd to those who are not engaged in a relationship. Even if one walks a mile in your shoes, he or she wouldn’t fully understand your love. That is how bias takes place. Whoever is not willing to understand your love or at least walk a mile in your shoes holds bias against your love. One’s bias is like a stone thrown at you . Being hit by one stone might not hurt you, but being hit repeatedly will eventually take your life away.
That reminds me of the woman brought to Jesus by the scribes and the Pharisees who were determined to stone her to death because of her crime in John 8:3-11. Jesus said to them that only those who were without sin could throw a stone at her. What a verdict! No one could do it! It is a verdict that transpires hope and a reality of human conditions. Their burning desires or impulses of throwing stones at her indicated that they only could see one side of the story. Their prejudice and judgment reflected their biases toward the woman and anyone who didn’t want to associate with them or who were outcasted by them. Unlike them, Jesus didn’t ask why or what questions but chose to forgive her and forgive those holding stones in their hands.
From the beginning of Jesus' ministry (Luke 4), the Jewish leaders and authorities had begun showing resistance and rejection to Jesus’ interpretation and application of the Scripture and the laws. All they knew about him was that he was the son of Joseph, a carpenter, and raised in Nazareth. Suspecting Jesus’ identity, they insulted him and even attempted to kill him. How did Jesus keep himself together by granting his countless pardons to those who perceived his good intention negatively? Their biases against him led him to the cross and eventually the brutal oppression, persecution, and the slaughter of Jesus’ followers.
Later in Luke 19:41-44, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem because he saw the rejection of God’s message. Yet, he chose to forgive at the time of his most extreme ordeal on the cross. Because he believed that his offenders did not know what they were doing in Luke 23:34. How true it is that we often are not aware of our own biases, which easily could accelerate to discriminations and eventually to violence.
Last week, the apostle St. Paul reminded us that we are the body of Christ - one body with many members (1 Corinthians 12-12-31a). It is quite overwhelming to think of taking care of the body of Christ while it is already challenging to stay in good shape for ourselves, isn’t it?
In my case, there was a long period of time when I didn’t keep a healthy lifestyle that included a good diet and exercise routine. I thought it wasn’t a big deal to skip a couple of meals or exercise routines, overwork, or practice sabbath, until the day my body began to react.
After my body kept sending me warning signals, I decided to do something about it. I went to see my doctor who was a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. I asked him, “Could you prescribe some medicine for me so that I can be healthier?” He sighed and looked in my eyes and said, “Jade, you haven’t taken care of yourself for years, and now you expect me to treat you in one month before you go back to the States?” Even though I knew that the traditional Chinese medicine treatment normally would take a long period of time to treat the roots of an illness, spanning from months to years, I still wanted to hear the painful truth from him. There isn’t magic to restore one’s health in a short period of time. In the same way, it is not possible to heal the body of Christ when it is suffering from biases, discriminations, and violence constantly.
God creates all equally. God shapes all uniquely. God loves all extravagantly. I wouldn’t be able to understand how far God would go to keep God’s relationship with us all intact unless I go to the cross with Jesus. In John 17:23, Jesus said that the Heavenly Father is in him and he is in us, and that makes us one. When one member of the body suffers, the rest suffers, God suffers.
Have you ever had biases against certain groups of people or individuals? I have. Do I know when people have biases against me? Yes, I do. Somehow I think that I should be thankful to have experiences with prejudice and discrimination, as they teach me to be a more empathetic and mindful person to whoever I might hold biases against. Knowing and believing how much God loves each individual has reshaped my way of seeing and treating others. When I fail to do it, I repent and request forgiveness and ask God to give me a chance for the next day so that I can be a better person before God.
Our apologies for holding biases can only make the symptoms of prejudice less visible; changing our attitudes and behaviors can eradicate the roots of prejudice. Yes, it will take a much longer time to heal the deep rotten wounds in our lives together, but it’s our calling as the people of God. St. Paul said that our giftedness means nothing before God if we have no love. God’s love makes us visible in God’s kingdom and compels us to walk among and walk alongside God’s people. As St. Paul said, “God’s love never ends” in 1 Corinthians 13:8; however. May we not take God’s forgiveness of our biases against others for granted. Amen.
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