FRIDAY, February 27

When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

— Mark 2:17

One of my favorite bits of wisdom is: “The church is not a museum for saints. It is a hospital for sinners.” This aphorism Reflects Jesus’ ministry on earth, in which he confounded all the religious leaders by spending his time with sinners and outcasts.

Tax collectors in Jesus’ time were deeply reviled by the Jewish people. They were Jews who had betrayed their own people to work for the oppressive Roman Empire. Their sin was compounded by extracting huge sums of money and taking an additional percentage to line their own pockets.

Jesus regularly dined with these traitors and with many others who were considered a threat to their way of life. Law, order and separateness were deeply ingrained values in the Jewish culture. Why would Jesus, who claimed to be God incarnate, want anything to do with them?

In ministering to both the righteous and the sinners, Jesus shows us something about the nature of God. The love of God is not something to be reserved only for those who walk the narrow way and follow all the rules. It is equally given to everyone, no matter what they have done.

I once visited a house in Bristol, England, where female sex workers could find refuge from their tumultuous world. The house provided a therapeutic environment, medical care and a daily meal for the women and staff. When my fellow Sister and I sat down to the meal, one of the women off the street said in her delightful accent, “Well, look at me sittin’ among the holy!” I turned to her and said, “You are holy, too. We are all holy, and God loves every one of us.” She looked stunned, then let out a laugh and pointed all around the table, saying, “Look at all of you! You’re all holy, too!”

God incarnate came to earth and dined with sinners and showed us very clearly that we are all loved, and that none of us is a lost cause. Jesus can redeem us all, even if we believe we are irredeemable.

Reflect: Can you imagine God loving someone whom you consider to be evil or unredeemable? Can you imagine that God loves you and that person equally?

This Lenten Meditation can be found at Episcopal Relief and Development