Tuesday: Eating With Sinners
Read Matthew 9:10-13. What crucial message should we as individuals take away from Jesus’ response to His critics? Read Hos. 6:6.
Jesus is reclining at the dinner table, where He is fellowshiping and eating with what this society would deem “undesirables.”
What kind of people does your culture deem “undesirables”?
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
Interrupted by the Pharisees’ question of the appropriateness of Jesus’ mingling with such despicable people, Jesus challenges them to learn the meaning of mercy in contrast to sacrifice. “ ‘But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance’ ” (Matt. 9:13, NKJV). How sad that Jesus has to tell religious leaders to learn one of the most crucial truths of their own faith.
Here again we are seeing the same problem that we saw occurring in Old Testament times, that of religious forms and ceremonies becoming more important in the minds of people than the question of how they treated others. How interesting that He quoted the Old Testament here (Hos. 6:6) to make His point.
“Thousands are making the same mistake as did the Pharisees whom Christ reproved at Matthew’s feast. Rather than give up some cherished idea, or discard some idol of opinion, many refuse the truth which comes down from the Father of light. They trust in self, and depend upon their own wisdom, and do not realize their spiritual poverty. . . .
“Fasting or prayer that is actuated by a self-justifying spirit is an abomination in the sight of God.” – Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 280.
It is easy to judge the actions of others by using our own preferences as the standard. We must learn to humbly put self aside and allow the Holy Spirit to translate mercy into conviction.
| What does Psalm 51:17 say to us all? How should the knowledge of our own sinfulness help us to understand better the meaning of this text? |
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I feel it is difficult to understand who is despicable in society. To many, it is difficult to come to terms with the guy who bugs you with bills every day, or the other guy who takes drugs and poses danger to our children, or may be a known child molester who is getting dangerously close to your family. The spirit of God should guide us on how to interact with such people as it is most likely that they can also influence us or affect us in ways we cannot know. We should interact with them on purpose, refusing any advances to compromise on our values and doing just what is good for them to become better citizens
I think we are all sinners who need God,s mercy .We shouid not rate ourselfs better than the other people-- we are not , ALL of us are equal before God for we need His mercy and grace each and every day.
The accusation regarding the fact that Jesus ate with sinners was answered with parables of, the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. All found in Luke 15:1-32. In checking other texts to see the background of those preceding texts, I ran across another text that I have read before but wonder what the meaning or understanding is, as found in Luke 14:25,26? The disciples ask questions regarding the meaning of His parables, that are similar to what I am asking. I find it somewhat difficult see the intended application. Preparation seems to be part of the understanding.
When we come to God, we cannot come to him as if we are somewhat special. We have to come with a humble heart recognizing that we are in need of a savior and asking for him to have mercy upon us, not because we deserve it, but because he is great and merciful and will have compassion of our pitiful, sinful, miserable nature.
Esther
There is a lot of discussion about too much contact with "sinners" and the influence that has! May I remind us that Jesus first spent hours mingling with His Father before he mingled with "sinners". Remember get the order of mingling right and the influence on your heart and soul will be right! Never quit mingling with either!
An experience with a homosexual client brought the message of this lesson home to my heart. I was assigned a gay married client to work with over my objections to my boss. He brought him to my office and as the gentleman came to sit I was so upset and making little effort to hide it. You would have thought a leper was brought into my room.
Then a voice said to me, How would Jesus treat this gentleman if he was here on earth? The inner voice followed up by challenging me to think about what impression about my faith and my Savior I wanted to leave with this client? How would he remember his encounter with a Christian?
I am convinced that these are the people, the spiritual outcasts that Jesus has come to save. Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are ill. Jesus was clear that he had come to seek and to save that which was lost.
I am happy to say that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, confronted me that morning, and he shone through me in an attitude of kindness. I was able to meet and interact with a fellow human being who I discovered to be a really engaging, gracious individual, one of us for whom Christ died. Today we have a very warm and cordial relationship. Most people who are outside of God's kingdom already know what we as Christians believe about their lifestyles. I do not have to sanction his lifestyle. I certainly would not attend his wedding, advocate for gay rights, or march in a pride parade, but I can be the voice and arms of Jesus to His sheep who are not yet in his fold. I want them to remember Christ.
Grace, it sounds like you have stood the test very well. Much better than I and many others would have. The question posed by that client may not have been the real question of the heart. Your guidance through the power of the Holy Spirit was an example of what we as mortals do not readily comprehend. We too often criticize others for not believing the same doctrine as we, and do not hesitate to make it known. What an example for Grace. If I could hug and pat her on the back , I would.
too often people forget that salvation is about restoration, about making others aware of the love of GOD. We must show mercy (which focusses on others, and be sacrificial which is on self. When we are controlled by a self justifying spirit, a false sense of security is embedded in our minds, we adopt an attitude of seeing every thing wrong with other persons, except ourselves, we reach the stage like the Pharisees, and totally miss that JESUS came to save all, rich and poor.Never forget that a Christian life is about service to God and others.we are saved by grace but judged by works, SO we should be in the highways and byways and by acts of genuine love, they will be compelled to come.Never forget all of us are sinners and we need the light of the sun of righteousness so that as it shines into our hearts we will be lighs to the world and having the mind of jesus with us, we will walk as he walked.
The apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, explains an earlier statement that he had made to the believers at Corinth. Note the very last sentence in the quote. What is he saying here?
"I wrote to you in that letter that you were not to associate with fornicators;
not that in this world you are to keep wholly aloof from such as they, any more than from people who are avaricious and greedy of gain, or from worshippers of idols. For that would mean that you would be compelled to go out of the world altogether."
"But what I meant was that you were not to associate with any one bearing the name of "brother," if he was addicted to fornication or avarice or idol-worship or abusive language or hard-drinking or greed of gain. With such a man you ought not even to eat." (1Cor 5:9-11 Weymouth.)
I would like to suggest an explanation for 1Cor 5:11 if I may. The injunction, "not to eat" with that man, refers, I believe, to the Lord's Supper. I take this view because this is the application given to 1Cor 5:11 in the Spirit of Prophecy.
In Desire of Ages it explains, "Christ's example forbids exclusiveness at the Lord's Supper. [However,] it is true that open sin excludes the guilty. This the Holy Spirit plainly teaches. 1Cor 5:11." (DA 656)
If we prefer to overlook cautions and restraints in favor of sentiment, we will get into trouble. But we need not think that injunctions, such as this one in 1Cor 5, negate the spirit of Christian love. If the man were in trouble we could help him; if he were alone we could sit with him and be his friend, etc. It would be well to sit and eat with him at the social gatherings. But to eat with him of the Lord's supper? For that man's sake (for his good), he must not be encouraged to think that he is safe in the course He has chosen, or that he has the Lord's blessing. Should he be told that he cannot participate? No, I don't think that would be right. It would be better for the congregation to deny themselves the ordinances, and to let the man sit before the Lord's furnished table alone.
Stewart, What do you think I Cor. 5:9-11 means when it says we should not hold ourselves separate from the worldly people living in open sin, but we should hold separate from one we have called a brother living in open sin and not company with or eat with him?
What do you think the author means in the last paragraph when he refers to translating mercy into conviction?
I like the question, Deborah. I've been pondering it, but the author's intent seems rather unclear to my mind. The application I like the best though, would be this
-- By not pointing out other people's faults (by not reproving a person when they deserve reproof), that person may be convicted by the compassion and restraint (i.e. mercy) they see in us. Under the influence of such convictions, people are much more likely to want to conduct themselves in better/higher manner.
Too many people are accustomed to being around fault-finders and judges who are ready, at a moment's notice, to pronounce some verdict about them. But we are called think and act differently around other people. Yes, we are called to do justly, but we are also called, not simply to "do" [or manifest] mercy, but to LOVE showing mercy. (Micha 6:8.) James 2:13
Thank you. I see the point. If we act more mercifully and kindly, rather than being judgemental, then people will be convicted and through the Holy Spirit, their actions will change.
Do you think a church would be unchristlike to dis-fellowship a member living in open sin?
Don, what did Jesus teach on this very point? Would it be Christlike to disregard His instructions?
we should not forget the task that Jesus gave us, (Matthew 28:19-20) and we can't achieve that without coming close to the people, mingling with them, meeting there immediate needs. If we do that, whenever we prayerfully call them, they will come.
Christ interacted with people on the social board. Forinstance he visited the homes of Zaccheus and Matthew (Luke 14: 7 and Matthew 9:10) and ate with them to the chagrin of the Pharisees, calling Him a friend of publicans and sinners. They contemptuously judged that for Christ to be friendly with such people He must be of a similar character. This was perhaps based on the priniciple that a person is a product of the company he/she keeps. They faied to understand that His mission on earth was to rescue the wicked from the grip of satan and save them from death and destruction. A penitent sinner coming to God with a broken and contrite heart will always find forgiveness, according to the riches of His grace. However the Pharisees despised that which they perceived was broken. They self-righteously thought they were better than others because of outward appearances. The lesson for followers of Christ is that we are not called to be judges of other people's character. The general character of all humanity is that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). The Bible in Romans 5:8, 9 tells us that "God commended His love toward us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us." For us to reflect that love to the world we must first maintain a close relationship with God. Our interaction with the world should be focussed principally on winning those beloved children of God still held up the world, to Christ. Proverbs 12:26 "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray."
We can't insulate ourselves from the world. Rather, we must use our friendship with non- believers as a way to share the gospel. Christ's aim was to heal sinners and bring them to repentance. God wants us to impact the world. We are to be the light of the world for it to see Jesus.
The question is asked: "What kind of people does your culture deem “undesirables”"?
I believe in the eyes of Jesus (and those who wear His yoke) that the whole world is found guilty of sin and in need of a Savior. It was only the self-righteous who looked on others as undesirable and unfit for their company, while Jesus mingled with them, but this mingling had a purpose to offer heaven's remedy for their great need. This was never lost sight of in Jesus' mingling with sinners. His reply in Matt 9:12,13 reveals His purpose, even toward the self-righteous.