COOTIE INSPECTORS
Every Monday morning the fourth-grade boys gathered in the back of the classroom. We made fists, extended the middle knuckle, and took turns hitting each other on the arm. We were distributing cootie vaccinations as an act of self-preservation.
We were convinced girls had cooties, although we had no clue as to what cooties were. The knuckle sandwich on our biceps left a slight bruise, guaranteeing us safety on the playground, should we inadvertently bump into a young female cootie-carrier.
This reminds me of the Pharisees in the New Testament. They often clashed with Jesus for associating with “sinners.” In Luke 5:30 they asked, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” (See also Luke 7:39; 15:1-2). The Pharisees saw themselves as better than others, going to extreme degrees to follow the 613 laws in the Pentateuch, even creating additional laws for others to follow. In the process, these pompous legalists “neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23).
Whenever they returned from the marketplace, the Pharisees ceremonially washed their hands, but not for sanitary purposes. They believed contact with sinners spiritually defiled them—much like cooties. But not Jesus. He welcomed sinners, touched them, and ate with them, which infuriated the Pharisees to no end. The Pharisees saw themselves as “righteous sinners,” an oxymoron, if there ever was one.
It’s easy to fall into a Pharisaic mode of spiritual cootie-inspecting. During the Jesus Movement, many churches closed their doors to hippies. While we’ve moved past the “no hippies allowed” phase, do we ever find ourselves treating social groups such as addicts, the homeless, or the LGBTQ with some level of disdain?
I’m not suggesting we ignore sin (especially in our own lives). But can we accept others as possessing immeasurable value, worthy of God’s love, without approving of their actions? I don’t even approve of my own behavior at times. There’s a difference between acceptance and approval.
Unlike the Pharisees who demanded people change before following the Messiah, let’s begin by demonstrating God’s unconditional love. Our world desperately needs Jesus. Treating others as “cootie-carrying sinners” drives them away from the Savior. But exuding the aroma of Christ’s love (2 Corinthians 2:14) is attractive. It comes down to this: we’re all sinners; we all need a Savior; and we all have cooties. Thank God for his grace.
Principle: We need to accept others as possessing immeasurable value, worthy of God’s love.
Ponder:
Have you ever found yourself acting as a spiritual “cootie inspector?”
What social group have you struggled in the past with judging?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Luke 7:36-50.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to have your heart for those who I tend to judge.
If you were blessed by this article, please tell your friends to subscribe on my website, BarneyCargile.com
I’m So Excited!! My new book, The Perfect Gift, a Christmas devotional, published by Our Daily Bread, releases October 1. You can pre-order on Amazon.