Friend of Sinners
Read Matthew 11:16-19.
I wonder if someone had said these things to Jesus directly, and if not, how did he find out (aside from, of course, the fact that he is God)? Did he overhear conversations? Did maybe his disciples come back from a trip to the market and say, "Have you heard what they are saying about you?" Today, of course, he'd be more likely to read these comments online. (Which begs the question: would Jesus be on Facebook? But that's another topic...)
I have found so many interesting things said about me on social media. I don't know if my "friends" don't realize I can see those things or if most of us simply don't think about what we post. (Probably the latter.) When I read such things, there is a bit of a pang that goes through my heart. I don't know if the person intended to hurt me or not, and sometimes I am probably oversensitive, but nevertheless I'm amazed that Jesus just reports what was said about him and it doesn't seem to bother him.
Of course, there is one thing said that, I believe, he was proud to take on. "He is a friend of tax collectors and sinners." Certainly, whoever said that meant it as an insult, but Jesus doesn't seem to take it that way. A similar thing happened to John Wesley, whose methodical approach to the Christian life gained his group the nickname "Methodist." Those who shouted that word meant it as an insult, but Wesley took it as a badge of honor and named his whole movement with that word. Jesus does nothing to deny the label "friends of sinners," and in fact his whole life proved the truth of the intended insult. He was and is a friend of sinners, a friend to those the rest of the world (and the church) ignores.
Which begs the question: why aren't we? We tend too often to simply point fingers, draw lines and label others rather than befriending those who are lost. How will they know the love of Jesus if they don't see it manifested in his people? Being a "friend of sinners" doesn't mean we approve of every activity and behavior. It does mean we love the person even if we disagree with their actions.
In our broken and divided world, we could use a lot of more friends of sinners.
I wonder if someone had said these things to Jesus directly, and if not, how did he find out (aside from, of course, the fact that he is God)? Did he overhear conversations? Did maybe his disciples come back from a trip to the market and say, "Have you heard what they are saying about you?" Today, of course, he'd be more likely to read these comments online. (Which begs the question: would Jesus be on Facebook? But that's another topic...)
I have found so many interesting things said about me on social media. I don't know if my "friends" don't realize I can see those things or if most of us simply don't think about what we post. (Probably the latter.) When I read such things, there is a bit of a pang that goes through my heart. I don't know if the person intended to hurt me or not, and sometimes I am probably oversensitive, but nevertheless I'm amazed that Jesus just reports what was said about him and it doesn't seem to bother him.
Of course, there is one thing said that, I believe, he was proud to take on. "He is a friend of tax collectors and sinners." Certainly, whoever said that meant it as an insult, but Jesus doesn't seem to take it that way. A similar thing happened to John Wesley, whose methodical approach to the Christian life gained his group the nickname "Methodist." Those who shouted that word meant it as an insult, but Wesley took it as a badge of honor and named his whole movement with that word. Jesus does nothing to deny the label "friends of sinners," and in fact his whole life proved the truth of the intended insult. He was and is a friend of sinners, a friend to those the rest of the world (and the church) ignores.
Which begs the question: why aren't we? We tend too often to simply point fingers, draw lines and label others rather than befriending those who are lost. How will they know the love of Jesus if they don't see it manifested in his people? Being a "friend of sinners" doesn't mean we approve of every activity and behavior. It does mean we love the person even if we disagree with their actions.
In our broken and divided world, we could use a lot of more friends of sinners.
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