Sunday: Jesus’ Attitude Toward People
Jesus always looked for the good in others. He drew out the best in them. One of the criticisms the religious leaders of His day had with Jesus was that He “receives sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2, NKJV). They were concerned because He fellowshiped with “the ungodly”. Their view of religion was one of estrangement rather than engagement. They were surprised when Jesus said of Himself, “For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Matthew 9:13, NKJV).
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The scribes’, Pharisees’, and Sadducees’ religion was one of avoidance. They thought, “Do everything you can to avoid becoming contaminated with sin”. Though uncontaminated by sin, Jesus plunged into this snake pit of a world to redeem it, not to avoid it. He is “the light of the world” (John 8:12).
Read Matthew 5.13-14. What two illustrations did Jesus use to describe His followers? Why do you think He used those specific illustrations? See also John 1:9, John 12:46, Phil. 2:15.
Salt was one of the most important resources in the ancient world. It was extremely valuable, and at times the Roman legions used it as currency. It was a symbol of great wealth. It was also used to preserve and flavor food. When Jesus used the illustration of salt to symbolize His followers, He was really saying that the true wealth of the world is not the world’s most powerful and richest people. The true wealth of the world is committed Christians who are making a difference for the kingdom of God. Their loving acts of unselfish service preserve the world’s goodness and flavor its atmosphere.
The second illustration Jesus used (in Matthew 5:14) was that of “the light of the world”. Light does not avoid the darkness. It shines in the darkness. It does not separate from the darkness. It penetrates the darkness, making the darkness light. Jesus’ followers are to penetrate the darkness of this world in their neighborhoods, villages, towns, and cities to lighten them with the glory of God.
| After considering Jesus’ words in John 17:15-18, how are we to understand the idea of separation from the world and avoidance of the world? Are they the same thing? What did Jesus mean when He prayed that His followers would be in the world but not of the world? How do we do that? |
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I am following my own advice and reading Matthew this week. This morning I read of the calling of Matthew:
How many of us put up social walls between ourselves and those we think of as sinners?
Too many of us. This lesson this morning should hit many of us like a brick. Many times we do not show compassion towards our fellow Christians much less people who are in the world. God did not call us to separate ourselves from people but to separate ourselves from sin and I think this where a lot of people struggle.
I remember many parents not allowing their daughters to associate with any young female in the SDA church who became pregnant out of wedlock. This was in the 80's. How do teach the youths to know the difference between choosing their friends carefully vs scorning anyone that did a public sin?
Maurice, the social wall goes up sometimes because our values are different. I'm not sure that we label them sinners & then separate ourselves. From observation, economic/social/cultural factors seem to be some of the reasons the separation exists & not so much that they are sinners.
Truth be told, we mingle with SINNERS whom we share those factors...
Jesus did not separate himself from people for cultural, social or economical differences. We must be careful and not make excuses for ourselves.
In the light of 2 Cor 6:14-17, along with the commands of the LORD to Israel before occupying the promised land, we must understand HOW Jesus mingled, His purpose, and the circumstances as we find in scripture.
Jesus went to the home of one who had decided to follow Him, not just anyone. This was not a keg-party or careless gathering for amusement. Same with the feast at Simon the leper's home after being healed by Jesus, or Zacchaeus. Notice in each case Who was the center of interest and the topic of conversation.
Yes, I'm sure some attending were not followers, but I believe they were there at Matthew's invitation to introduce them to Jesus, who was always "stand(ing) at the door" of people's hearts, and never joined just for the food/fun/fellowship of those focused on indulging appetite or merely being amused.
WHY do we wish to mingle? WHAT is the purpose of our presence? WHO/WHAT is the topic of our conversation?
While we don't have any word concerning the parties Jesus declined to attend, are there some we have attended that we later regretted attending?
We cannot be the salt or the light if we avoid the world. Salt does no good sealed up in a jar in the cupboard; it must come in contact with and mix with the food it is intended to flavor and preserve. And as any cook probably knows, food without salt tastes bland; salt brings out the flavors more fully. So too does the Word of God make our lives as they are meant to be.
Light, too, does no good if it is hidden behind closed doors. Even in these days of social distancing, we can still carry the light of Jesus to a sin-darkened world. We have the technology of social media to reach many more people than we could in person. And some of us, essential workers like myself or others who are not under restrictions, are still working and may well have many opportunities to shine our light to a confused, scared, and hurting world. I pray that each of us will be the salt and light that those we come in contact with need.
While it is said, To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness Heb 3:7,8,15.
What was Jesus’ Attitude Toward People?
Does anyone know what it means to be provoked by someone who you love- a spouse, children, parents, etc? Does anyone know what it meant to be cast aside by someone/some people who you gave your all to help?
Bro Maurice, I can feel the sentiment is still in your voice as you relate how you became 'bird watching'. My sympathy.
Bro John, I can feel the sentiment in your writing about all the things you are going through. My sympathy.
Jesus’ Attitude Toward People-Jesus never condemn anyone regardless if their attitude towards him was good, healthy, bad, obnoxious, unfriendly, wayward, etc. Humans will never understand the love of God towards his people while on this earth. When Peter asked the question about how many times we should forgive. Jesus said 70*7=490. Jesus always seeks to gain the crown to show them his fathers' love.
Isa 53:1-12 put it so skillfully. I am longing for that same spirit that dwelled in Christ while he walked this earth to be in me so that my attitude towards people can be just like Jesus. It's all about the Holy Spirit.
I see Jesus' attitude as one of compassionate inclusion of all who are toiling and weary, burdened, and heavy laden; He wants to give them rest! 'The Father is no respecter of persons', though; He will safe whoever calls upon His name - Rom.10:13; Acts 10:34.
He wants to give all rest from groping in the darkness of this world; who want to find the light on their own but cannot find it - Matt.11:28.
The Father gave us Jesus to bring the Light of Truth into the world so the world will find the RIGHT way, the way to the Father. We are advised to take His 'joke' - the way He shows us to live - upon us, with which we will lighten our physical burden as well as remedy our spiritual confusion; it'll set the world right for the believer - spiritually as well as physically - but only provides peace within our heart!
I have looked high and low, following light given by 'diverse teachers' and walked for a while in their path. These paths always ended at man's limitations set by selfishness in its various forms.
Jesus' Light is the only Light that transcends all other teachings in that it meets the needs of both, the body and the spirit, through one source - FAITH.
This Faith cannot express itself, cannot be experienced unless it's lived. His Light always aluminates His Path; safely I can walk in this world by His Light; preparing me as I follow this Light and its Path to live in the world to come.
Learning about Jesus' attitude toward people is what showed me that I could trust Him. He did not prefer the powerful and influential religious establishment to join Him, though He calls them first to help with lighting the Path. But when they were bussy with establishing their own agenda, He called those from the highways and byways of everyday life to sit with Him at His table.
Religion is often described by the self-sufficient as a 'crutch' or an opiate because, supposedly, we do not have the intellectual ability to reason for answers to this life's challenges.
In the end, as we know from Scripture, 'every knee shall bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord'. Phil.2:10,11
I believe this and have faith in Jesus' message to be the Truth, the Light, the Salt, the Water, the Well, the Bread, the Salvation of all mankind from the darkness of this present age.
All Jesus asks of us is that we believe and walk by the Faith in the Holy Spirit's teachings; following His example.
Jesus' attitude:
In Jesus' day and in ours we humans are so quick to label people groups - Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, tax collectors and sinners, believers, unchurched, backslidden, liberal, fundamental etc
We tend to judge people by the group with whom they associate, in Matt 9:10-13 the Pharisees were implying Jesus was like the group with whom He was spending time.
Jesus was more concerned with the individual rather than their current friends, for example Nicodemus the Pharisee, Mathew the tax collector, Mary the fallen woman, the Samaritan woman at the well.
Jesus declared - I have come to seek and to save the lost in the church or in the high ways and the byways.
He sends His servants into the world but He wants them to be like Him, not like the inhabitants of the world.
We are sinners ourselves! It is quite easy to be comforted by the thought that what we've been doing makes us better than any other person. We tend to fall into that pit because we judge ourselves and others all the time. We all have defects which to fight against. And Jesus is our only hope of salvation. Getting closer to Christ is our best bet. When darkness of our own souls starts to fade away, then true Light starts to shine through. There is nothing good in ourselves, and only Christ can change that. Our focus must be in our connection with Jesus, because apart from Him we lose flavor and brightness.
It is by the power of the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, that we are to witness to the world in, our own sphere of influence, about the salvation that they can also share in that is also available to them in Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ; and also to keep ourselves unspotted by the sin that is in the world.
Also, by the power of the third person of the Godhead, The Holy Spirit, we are to be like "Lesser Lights" shining in this world of darkness, gloom, and sin etc., to those that have not seen the light of Jesus yet.
I like the comment that " apart from Jesus we lose flavour and brightness." Essentially, we are a dead branch. Without Jesus living in our hearts, we are dead, despite the " flurry of religious activity".