Did I Forget to Tell you… that Labels are Liars?
There are so many ways to make mistakes these days. If there was a shortcut way to avoid mistakes would that help? I have a suggestion.
Stop using labels. Labels will make a liar out of you every time.
I know, I know. Human beings are hopelessly attracted to labels. Especially to put others down. Our airwaves are full of label language.
And every time – every single time—that people take a moment to think (which we do not always), real life will overspill the labels and undermine the integrity of those who use them.
So just when we think that using labels is a helpful and common way to get around in this world, Jesus shows a life that truly disregarded labels. Maybe people think that the actions of Jesus – kind of like the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness by Satan—makes for good reading in Scripture but not something attainable for the rest of us.
Dear friends, the life of Jesus shows us exactly what is possible for the God-grounded life! The life of Jesus is the path which illustrates the life-giving teaching of Jesus. And Jesus did not live his life following the labels of his day. I didn’t forget to tell you, did I, that following Jesus is the essence of the Christian life?
We know that Jesus faced the same kind of labeling that swirls around us: name-calling, refusal to forgive centuries-old grudges, degradation based on race, gender, class. And time and time again, we see Jesus deliberately walk right past those labels and stereotypes. Jesus simply ignored the labels of his day that clarified “good” and “bad” and “friend” and “enemy”. We can do the same.
There are enough Jesus examples to fill a whole book. Let’s look at the label “Samaritan”. That was a bitter word – a label of hate that had centuries’ worth of animosity behind it. Every good Jew was taught to avoid dealings with the Samaritans. And those with religious background certainly knew the Jewish saying that it was better to give the law to the dogs than teach it to a woman. But still, pushing right through the labels, Jesus takes the initiative to go TO Samaria (which most Jews avoided) and take the initiative to have a theological conversation with to a woman of Samaria---a woman not only of Samaria, but a woman who does not have the best reputation in town. His conversation with her is the longest recorded conversation in the Gospels. It is to this woman that Jesus reveals He is the Messiah. It is a Samaritan womanbecomes the first woman preacher (and, by her testimony, wins the whole city to Christ). Transformation in abundance – and it all starts with a Savior who would not let labels determine His attitude or actions. (Read John 4).
The label “taxpayer” would be enough to get any good Jews’ blood boiling. “Taxpayer” meant a cheater and a traitor – someone who fell into working with the hated Romans and made a fortune betraying his own people. And yet, Jesus called a tax collector (Matthew 9:9) to be one of his disciples. And when he was out with others, it was often with tax collectors and sinners.
And while clearly the enemies of the Jewish people were the Roman occupiers, when a Roman centurion comes to ask Jesus for help on behalf of his servant, Jesus not only heals the servant, but publicly commends the faith of the centurion. The Roman centurion. Read Matthew, Chapter 8.
Labels also good connotations, which turn out to make us liars. Religious people would be in the “good” category, right? In Jesus’ day, the most religious of religious are Scribes and Pharisees. But read any gospel and it is apparent that the Scribes and the Pharisees are not – in any way—the good guys.
Labels make us liars. They lead us to false conclusions about others. They isolate us from contact that could be inspiring. They cause us to sin against others by believing and saying false things about others, especially when we label groups of people.
I guess I have forgotten to teach about the lying danger of labels because people throw them around all the time. Believing that it is never too late to do the right thing, I urge us all to make a new association:
Labels = lies.
When we use labels, we are inevitably going to be untruthful and unfair to some. We will be telling on ourselves--because people who use labels show a lack of comprehension of the breadth of humanity and a glaring short-sightedness. And double the spiritual danger for those who use labels to drum up antagonism toward others. People who need enemies to buttress their position or program or philosophy are not people to follow. They are on a path of destruction that will leave damage as their heritage.
Labels are quick. They are easy. They are almost always inaccurate. Every time we use them, we contribute to the lies they tell. There is a simple call of the Gospel: be like Jesus. And that will mean leaving labels behind.
