Life is so much easier if we can just put labels on people.

Pigeon-holing permits us to wash our hands and leave.

This is Max Locator.

Oh, I know him. He's an alcoholic.

She's a liberal Democrat, he's divorced.

Categizing others creates distance and gives us a convenient exit strategy for

avoiding involvement.

But Jesus took an entirely different approach.

He was all about including people.

Jesus touched lepers and loved foreigners.

His Facebook page included the likes of Matthew, the IRS agent, and some

fluzy he met at Simon's house. You see Jesus set aside the privileges of

deity. He took on the status of a slave. He became a human.

Jesus sends us this message. No playground displays of superiority. Don't call any person common, don't call any person

unfit. Every person matters to God.