Friend of Sinners
Today in my newsletter I would like to ask you a question - would you consider yourself as one who is cliquey, exclusive, or even one who considers themselves above others? Ouch, this is a hard pill to swallow, but it is a subject that should not be avoided. I know this often times happens as children, but sadly, this type of behavior also is carried into adulthood as well. If I am being transparent, I am sure that in my life I have experienced this on both sides. But honestly when I started living for Christ and not myself, my mindset changed and is much different now. I will never forget one of the most pivotal moments that led me to adjust my attitude from this very thing - it was when I was sitting near friends at church one day and we were waiting for the service to begin. As we watched people coming through the doors, I heard a friend say out loud “Oh, what in the world are they doing here?” I looked back to see a family that was entering and knew they were not really liked by some because of their bad choices and behaviors. It was clear that my friend certainly didn’t want them there because in her eyes, the church was suppose to minister to only the prominent families who were like-minded people. In her heart, she only wanted to surround herself with specific types of people which included: the wealthy, the educated, and people who worked white-collar jobs. Her attitude led me to believe that she was indirectly saying, if you do not fall into these categories, you are not welcome. As I sat there in shock, I leaned forward and said, remember who the church is for - sinners and that includes us. I went on to say that even though we have been redeemed; we are still a work in progress and are no better than anybody else. Boy did that make her mad! To this day, I will still defend the church when I hear these types of comments. Even though it is hard at times to speak up, we should take a stand. The church was not established to be exclusive, but rather a place where everyone can find community and meet Jesus. As I read the Bible, I see how Jesus intentionally surrounded himself with sinners and loved them regardless. For this reason, is why we can easily recognize how He made an impact on many lives and changed the world. In addition, I am grateful that He receives everyone with open arms. What a beautiful picture of acceptance. In His eyes, it’s effortless to look past circumstances and considered each person as one who is valued and treasured. With this said, can you say that you follow his example or would you say you fall more in line with being cliquey? If you answered the latter, I would encourage you to pray and ask Him where He needs to change your heart. After all, didn’t He see past your circumstances and love you when you were broken?
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:10-13
Chaplain Tracey Burns
Reflection Questions
⦁ When you look at your friend group, do all your friends look the same?
⦁ Would you say that you love all people well or just the select?
⦁ How will you change your mind set to look more like Jesus?
Bonus: Great song (if you are interested) - Can you say you are like “Jesus, friend of sinners?”