Jesus Christ associated with some of the most unsavory men and women of his time. As a result, he was accused of being “a friend of sinners.” Thank God that was and is his mission!
_______________
I’ve been having coffee with a leper. No, not the kind of person who has the flesh-eating disease. This man is a sex-offender. He was convicted and has served jail time for behavior that is not only punishable by law, but which also goes against the most basic of all human ethical codes. In our society he is labeled for life, shunned, and marginalized. His plight is very similar to the biblical leper who lived isolated from mainstream humanity.
Laws have been passed which mandate that this modern day leper register his location, which becomes public information. He’s now a branded man and his every move is monitored. He’s lost his job, his home, his family, and his reputation.
The encounter I mention here has led to an ongoing Bible study and friendship with a man who feels lost and alone. Before you get the wrong idea, I’m not arguing for toleralnce or downplaying sinful actions. I am, however, raising a hard question. How do we compassionately minister to people caught in a sin like this one? How do we sidestep our own inner prejudices and judgmental attitudes long enough to minister to people who’ve done things that tend to turn our stomachs? If they are truly penitent, what is our role in helping them experience and live out the grace and forgiveness of God? How do we avoid the temptation to write them off?
Disciple making is not a matter of picking and choosing who is worthy of the grace of God! If that were the case, we’d all be in major trouble. Paul’s letter to the church at Rome couldn’t have made it clearer. He wrote, “We’ve all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
Jesus was accused of being a friend of sinners. Are we willing to suffer the same accusation? Let me know what you think.
Mike – I love this article. Thank you so much for putting yourself out there and sharing the Gospel with everyone. It is so encouraging to see an approach that includes all of us. I can’t begin to answer the questions you raise but I know the result of struggling with them will be an ever increasing realization of God’s power and grace even if we are rejected by men. God bless you brother.
I have a family member struggling with the same quarentine. For the reformed sinner though, especially in this particular crime, our society doesn’t allow forgiveness.
Once bad, always bad is the theme. I don’t know of an answer, as I struggle. I have a hard time encouraging my loved one when I can empathize with the retardation of his past judgement…I too have made mistakes worthy of secrecy and condemnation if unveiled. I think in that thought process, I come back to being responsible for MY actions and words. How does God speak to my heart?…when I listen. And to listen, I have to drink the living water, and IF I am doing that, then I remember that I am dust, forgiven and reconciled…no different than Mother Theresa, James, my family, your friend.
I think we will always have the “temptation” to write off vile sinners, but will you? Will I?
At Cannonsburgh, we watched a potter at his wheel. He spoke to my daughter, showing her and allowing her to feel the clay. She got her hands muddy, trying to make the clay into something worthy. When the clay didn’t take the form she wanted, she could use the defect and change the form into something else. Something different than originally intended but beautiful and useful just the same.
Your articles always are interesting and provocative Mike. You are doing great work.
Mike,
The question is how do we as Jesus followers represent him to the marginalized of society… The difficulty with this is so often as followers we don’t represent him to those who aren’t marginalized. We have a difficult time discipling (getting deep and personal in Christ) with others who are believers with shiny backgrounds much less getting messy with our lepers.
An evan larger problem than reaching our modern day lepers is reaching anyone. We have moved into a Christian Society of takers. Give me this or that…I want Christ represented this way or that way…
That said I know we got a lot of work to do on that front. I praise God that he has allowed you to be in places that seem to be forbidden by “Christians” but so greatly desired by Christ for us to be.
Great message, Mike. I’m reminded of the laws regarding lepers in Leviticus – they’re expelled from the camp, immediately, yes, but that’s not what the laws are about. They’re not even about ‘curing’ the man’s leprosy.
No, God’s laws regarding lepers are solely focused on bringing that leper back into the camp, back into God’s presence – a reminded to God’s people, then and now, that at the end of the day God wants holiness from and fellowship with His people, and He’ll stop at nothing to make that happen. Praise Him!
Well said Milton.
Great article with so much truth in it how many times throughout the day do we come across people that are treated like leapers or outcast that need our love and compassion. I will pass this on too many others very heartfelt!