Dealing With Prejudice

Luke 9:51-56

Growing up on the Navajo Reservation during the 1960’s I got to see some of the effects of racial prejudice first hand. Since we lived on the Navajo side of town, we were closer to the Navajo kids than we were to the white kids, but because of my Dad’s brief position with the tribe, we were accepted by the whites as well.

We hadn’t been there long before we learned about the two price system. “White” people paid one price at many of the stores while Navajos paid a much higher one. It was assumed that a “white” would go elsewhere if the price was too high, but a Navajo wouldn’t because of the prejudice he experienced. Many of the Navajos had experienced it so long they no longer hoped for change. In our efforts to help new Christians get their lives together, we frequently had to encourage them to frequent stores which charged the same price to everyone, rather than continuing to go to the same old stores that practiced this. It didn’t make us very popular with some of the business people.

When I was a sophomore, we were sent to high school off the reservation because the only close school was across the state line, in Arizona. In Gallup, kids only associated with kids of their own race, so while there were Mexicans, Chinese, Blacks, Italians, and several tribes of Indians as well as the “white” group. We quickly learned that while I rode the bus with my friends, it kept everybody out of trouble if we didn’t spend time together at school, so when the bus entered Gallup, we all moved to separate ourselves until we got out of town, when we could safely be friends again. We were all relieved when the state decided it would be okay for us to go to the Arizona school and we no longer had to do that.

The American Indian Movement grew out of the civil right movement, and gained considerable power on the reservation , and it wasn’t long before many of our friends were pressured to avoid us as whites. Their constant focus on how the Indians had been mistreated caused great resentment and suddenly many Navajos became very prejudiced against whites, just as many of the whites had been against Navajos. Unfortunately, some are still fomenting that prejudice on both sides, by focusing attention on the failings of individuals in the other group, so they can keep control. Half breeds were looked down on by almost everyone.

The Jews were prejudiced against non Jews in general, but they especially hated the Samaritans. The Samaritans were the result of the Assyrians conquering Israel and resettling other peoples in the land, who later mixed with the Jews and began practicing a form of Judaism, as described in II Kings 17. They were viewed as collaborators and halfbreeds and were especially hated.

Prejudice always begets prejudice, and is whipped up by leaders who want to maintain their power, pointing to how the other side has done them wrong. The Jewish disdain for the Samaritans resulted in prejudice by the Samaritans toward Jews and they avoided Jews as well. If they had been asked, however, they would probably have denied being. After all being prejudiced is bad and almost no one admits to it. The prejudice was manifested when Jesus was obviously set to go to Jerusalem.

“And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51-53)

Prejudice caused the Samaritans to reject Jesus Christ and miss the blessing he offered. Satan still uses prejudice to keep people from getting saved or obeying the Lord. I have no idea how many times I have been told “That’s the white mans religion.” More troubling was the material I read from the men’s group, Promise Keepers, who, in an effort to draw in the blacks focused on how bad the whites had treated blacks, excusing misbehavior of blacks on those grounds. Perhaps I was more aware of the consequences as a result of seeing the prejudice and unforgiveness that results from a similar approach on the reservation. While the wrongs have been done, failure to forgive those who have tried to make it right is sin, and will prevent spiritual growth. It also produces resentment and may lead to others doing wrong as well. Notice the Apostles response.

“And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?” (Luke 9:54)

It is just as wrong for a black to be prejudiced against whites as it is for whites to be against blacks. Both are sinning. So are those who look down on those who are poorer than themselves or who consider it okay to rip off those who are richer. Jesus rebuked the disciples for forgetting who God is. Prejudice and hatred are Satanic and have no place in Christian’s life. Their presence indicates a separation from God, regardless of what may have happened in the past.

“But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.” (Luke 9:55-56)

When we hold grudges, we face the condemnation of the Lord ourselves. James 5:9-10 advises, “Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.”

Many members of my grandfather’s family were killed in Germany during WWII, because they were Jewish. I would not want to lose my rewards in eternity because I resented the Germans for the way they treated my family. I hadn’t even been born when they were killed, and the Germans who are alive today can do nothing to change what happened. We need to remember what the Lord is like and obey him by forgiving. Prejudice stems from either pride or unforgiveness, and both are sin.