Jesus Was a Friend of Sinners

My Friends,

I've been thinking a lot about Jesus' reputation as being a friend of sinners in connection with something from my playground days in school. To help think this through you have to transport yourself back to your elementary years.

How it usually happened is you are minding your business when someone approaches you and introduces themselves by telling you their name. Then they ask a simple question: Do you want to be friends? More than likely you said okay and then you began your friendship. Crazy, huh? Our adult intellect probably says something like, "We do a lot of dumb stuff like that when we're kids." I'm not so sure it's dumb. I don't think that Jesus was making idle suggestions when he told us we need to become like little children in order to fully enter and experience the kingdom of God. The question should be, "Did Jesus act more like us or children when gaining his reputation as friend of sinners?"

Luke 19 gives us insight into this. Jesus is on his way to Jericho when he meets a man named Zacchaeus. You know the story. But look closely at 19:3. It is clear that Zacchaeus had never met Jesus, yet when Jesus sees Zacchaeus he invites himself over to spend the day, just like they were long lost friends. Zacchaeus' reaction is telling. He gladly, immediately welcomes Jesus and as a result ends up giving half his possessions to the poor with a promise to restore anything he has cheated from anyone.

But to me it looks and sounds like the above school yard situation.

Jesus: Hi my name is Jesus.
Zacchaeus: Hi
Jesus: Do you want to be friends?
Zacchaeus: Sure
Jesus: Can I come over today and hang out?
Zacchaeus: I'd love that

The Master Teacher was teaching his disciples and ourselves about what it looks like to gain a reputation as a friend of sinners for the clear purpose of winning them to the kingdom. As Jesus said in 19:10, "The Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost." And what do you do with your friends? You spend time with them doing friend stuff, like eating together and spending time at one another's homes. Your friendship to them has a sanctifying effect. In the Old Testament you touch a leper and you become unclean. In the New Testament you touch a leper and the leper becomes clean. Our Teacher was showing us the profound effect our presence has with those the world considers "sinners." We should take note and adjust our time to accomodate our mission.

One of the main problems is the problem of limited time. We all have commitments and friendships already that we feel we must maintain. Friendship takes work and commitment. It takes a time commitment to befriend "sinners." The question will then become, whose will is going to be done in your life? If your will is going to be done, no adjustment probably has to be made. Plan your vacations, your free time, etc. the way you have been. If the Father's will is going to be done in your life there may need to be an adjustment, because Our Savior spent whole days with sinners he had just met for the purpose of winning them to the kingdom.

I'm preaching to myself right now.

I don't have the answer, because our lives need balance. My suspicion is that they are already unbalanced heavily, but not in the way we would like to admit or adjust. Please pray with me and for me as I and others discern what needs to be adjusted so that we can also gain the reputation that Jesus had as a friend of sinners.

I love you all,

N8