Whatever It Takes

By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.” Luke 15:1-3

The Religious leaders were highly critical of Jesus for mingling with sinners, let alone eating with them and treating them kindly. The sinners were listening eagerly to Jesus while the “religious” could only find fault with Him.

When I was a child, the church expected people to come to Revival to get saved. Come to us and get saved and then we can become friends. The best way to witness at that time was to invite people to church. Come with me so the preacher can share the gospel with you. This was never the way of Jesus.  Yes, He taught in the synagogue, but spent more time on the hillside, in a boat, walking the streets and in the home of sinners than at church! In our day when the church is not as popular and the lost are more skeptical, “come with me to church,” just isn’t getting the job done. I remember a little saint in one of our churches whose husband was a bonified sinner! When we got to know her and found out she went to the bars with her husband, our eyes popped out. Then one day she told us if she was with him, he wouldn’t drink as much and his behavior and that of his friends was tempered. While she drank her coke and laughed with them, they could see her love for her husband and that she could be trusted. She didn’t compromise her faith; she shared it by her love for her husband and acceptance and love for his friends. He eventually accepted Jesus as His Savior. She wasn’t afraid of sinners but brought her light into their darkness. My question now as then is, am I afraid of sinners or do I welcome them and share my light with them where they are. Jesus seemed quite comfortable around sinners, because He had a mission and loved the sinner, not his sin.

Jesus, we need to remember to love the sinner while hating the sin and to teach and live out this principal in a focused way. Help us never to forget our mission to stay in the Word and close to You so you can protect us from temptation and compromise. May we see the sinner as one in need of Jesus rather than label them by their sin. May Your love and compassion be evident in us.! Help us not to be trapped in tradition, but to be captured by a love that says, ‘whatever it takes!” Help us, Jesus!!!