Saturday 29 June 2024
“And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.’”
You can’t say you are following Jesus if you aren’t spending relational time with secular, non-churched people!
That statement seems a little extreme when you first read it, because most Christians live in the Christian subculture, only spending truly relational time with their Christian friends and family. But think about Jesus’ life and you will have to agree that the amount of time and friendship and love expressed towards “sinners” was one of the biggest marks of his life and constantly irritated those who felt that God’s people should only hang out with God’s people, lest they be tempted and drawn away by the secular values of “sinners.”
When you think about this clear priority of Jesus to spend relational time with secular, non-churched people, how does it impact your evaluation of your relationships? Read the verses again. What would that look like in your life? In what contexts could you begin to spend relational time with these kinds of people?
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