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Challenging Prejudices: The Duty To Love And Respect All

Challenging Prejudices: The Duty To Love And Respect All

Last updated on: February 2, 2025 at 3:17 am by Henry Karlson

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Challenging Prejudices: The Duty To Love And Respect All 2025-02-02T03:17:12-05:00 Henry Karlson

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Anonymous: Jesus Confronting Bias By Calling To Zacchaeus / Wikimedia Commons

People can be quite cruel, finding all kinds of excuses to ignore the human dignity of others. Ageism, sexism, and racism all represent evils which not only undermine human dignity, they do so on a rather irrational basis (accidental features such as the color of one’s skin or one’s gender). Christians should know better. Scripture constantly gives examples of those who have been unjustly mistreated, sometimes by Jesus’ own disciples, who God defended, making it clear that God wants us to do likewise. In the Gospels, we find several examples of Jesus going to and affirming the value of those whom his society either ridiculed or outright hated. Today, many Christians only want that affirmation for themselves, while being free to treat others in an undignified manner. They are selfish, and in and through their selfishness, they have warped Christianity. While Christians are often known for many things, they no longer are known for the love which Christ said they should represent to the world. Scripture, however, told Christians they should be looking for and caring for all, wanting all to be saved, for that is God’s desire. They should be continuing the work which Christ did in his ministry, sharing his love to the world instead of putting up barriers between Christ’s love and those they want to ignore or reject. “ For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe” (1 Tim. 4:10 RSV).

Jesus consistently went to those who were looking for him from classes of people who were outright despised, such as tax collectors. One of the apostles, Matthew, had been a tax collector, and it is clear, Jesus’ association with Matthew was sometimes used against him. Likewise, Jesus famously went to Zacchaeus, another tax collector, and visited him at his home so that Zacchaeus could come clean, that is repent of whatever evil he had done, so that he can then be put on the path toward salvation:

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. (Lk. 19:1-4 RSV).

While some commentators look at the way Zacchaeus was described as “small in stature” as being more an indication of his moral, and not his physical, we can also look at him as a lonely man made worse by society, by a society who overlooked him due to his size. That is, it is possible that he tried to compensate himself by becoming a tax collector, thinking that would give him a larger place in society. He was, in that regard, a wounded man, one who did wrong, but also a man who deep inside knew he was doing wrong and it was through his encounter with Christ, he would find the healing he needed. Jesus showed him the care and concern he needed. Afterward, Zacchaeus was able to let go of all his pain and suffering and the evils it had him do and begin to pay back all those who he had hurt:

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost” (Lk. 19:5-10 RSV).

Some read this verse as suggesting Zacchaeus was already doing what he had told Jesus, that he was already giving half of his money to the poor, that he was already restoring what he had defrauded others. However, this misunderstands the passage. Zacchaeus was a rich man due to his profession. If he had been giving back what he took already, he would not be a rich man. This is why we should read what he says here as an indication of what he had just decided to do, that he had finally come to realize the evil he had done and wanted to make reparations. This is why Jesus was able to say salvation had come to Zacchaeus’ house that day, because Zacchaeus admitted to himself his wrongdoing, repented, and began the process of healing himself and those he had hurt.

Jesus, by his presence in Zacchaeus’ house, by his love and respect, by the way he affirmed Zacchaeus’ dignity even though others looked down upon him, not only for his size, but because of his sins (especially those connected to the injustice involved in being a tax collector), was able to provide the grace Zacchaeus needed so that Zacchaeus can be transformed and become the great man God intended him to be. This is exactly the kind of change Christians should share to the world. This cannot be done if they continue to hold in their hearts all kinds of prejudices and biases. Perhaps this is why Timothy, while still young and called to a position of authority in the church, he was told, “Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12 RSV). In this fashion, not only was he shown respect and had his dignity affirmed, Christians were taught not to look down upon the aged or the youth, but to treat everyone with respect, allowing people to shine when it is their time to do so. This is exactly what Christians need to hear today. Christ has given them much love and grace. Their sins and their own personal qualities have not stopped Christ’s love for them. Seeing that, what is to stop them from taking that love and sharing it with others, helping Jesus’ work in the world continue until the end of time?

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N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

General Christian

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