The Kingdom of God, Left or Right?

When I was in Senior High School, I was asked by the elder men (most of them are radical Catholic). It happened when we celebrated the mass in our neighbors.  They said: "What was your opinion, which one is best place if we will die -- the right side or the left side?"

And, they added, "Most of the people say right side is the proper place! What is your suggestion?" At the time, I felt like on the tribunal. Formal situation circle my mind, in which most of the women who were sitting beside me are silence. They really needed my suggestion. But, I just saying: "It depends on what people believe". Of course, it makes them dissatisfied!

What I have described about the question in which really eschatology at the story that I have shared to you, connected me to re-reflect the Gospel. The problem of life after die actually awakes us from our deep perception about the other. The existence of the other mostly constructed by public opinion, and ironically become  a stigma.

Nowadays, many cases are growing up, just because the power of mass media. The large number of people, using their voices, could change everything. If you need the transformation, prepared the supporters. In the past, we really live by the traces of tradition and history.

But today, our existence mostly recognize if we get more support (the voice of majority). Jesus tells us about how we must liberate ourselves from prejudices by which we part classify people. Jesus reminds us that let us stop dividing people into good or bad, black or white, sinners or pure and rich or poor. This doesn't help anyone to grow in living together.

This construction, I mean the hierarchy of social structure, actually brings us in disintegrated or divorce. The hierarchy of social structure, like mayor or minor, automatically brings one on the top and the other under it.

In the story of Gospel, this social classification is described. Levi with his profile, tells all the people around him that he is a sinner. This profile is the result of stigma -- those who work for the Roman Empire (foreigners) are sinners.

But, what Jesus does in this morning is different. "Come on, Levi, follow me!" Jesus: I know you well more than the perception that is people put on yourself. Not only ask Levi to follow, Jesus also try to get breakfast with Levi.

What Jesus did really breaks the norm of everyday life, breaks the tradition, and breaks the line hierarchy in social structure -- pure man like Jesus, actually never eat or communicate with the sinners. What is wrong here?

The point that I could grasp here is there is an exclusive position of the people at the time in which they think that the salvation is only for those who are chosen by God. Most of the people think that the salvation is dedicated for good person, not for sinners.

Most of people think that those who can be the leader in this country are those who come from the majority. But, Jesus comes to breaks all of this. No border, no white or black like Obama said, no majority or minority.

Everybody is equal in front of God. God salvation not only for Jews or good man or woman, but He plans the salvation for all, include those who are fall down in the same way. This is what we capture from what Jesus does in this morning, that is stop judging! Trend in this era is quick to judge!

The left side or the right side is not the important thing in Kingdom of God. Return to the story that I have shared to you, tradition, norm and public opinion are not the basic or main doctrine that makes us tied in our daily life.

Jesus comes to collapse all the burdens and gap that makes us unfree. The stigma that is created by public opinion, sometimes makes everything is wrong. People prefer to judge the other using their past time, by something that is distributed by tradition and history like the story of Levi. But, Jesus comes to change everything. He came to speculate the certainty regime. So that, He says, "I did not come to call righteous, but sinners!"