What's Up With All The Ungodly People?
From what I read in the Scriptures, it appears that Jesus hung out with a bunch of seemingly ungodly individuals.
By today’s standards, He wasn’t very PC [1] He dug all the wrong ppl. Like:
- An infamous tax collector - what the locals call ‘a sinner’
- The all too referenced adulteress,
- The physically ill,
- Known criminals,
- The dead,
- A trouble maker & terrorist of the early church
And people like me. Christ’s choice of associates wasn’t for the faint of heart or to pass the time while He was about His ministry. It’s very important to understand what Jesus was up to when he “hung” with the apparent undesirables - otherwise His motives and actions can too easily get blown out of proportion & misused. By hanging out with the objectionable, Jesus shows us His great capacity for purposeful affection and verifiable tenderness. He redefined what it meant to be of value. The incarnate Word of God was incredibly intentional. All of His actions were like a strategic, well managed crusade of manifested love. We should be awestruck.
Church isn’t easy for many folks. Believers can make it more palatable by removing any barriers we may have concocted; expanding our capacity for unconditional love and being present for those who need us most.
Shalom…#pkes
[1] ~ Pharisaically Correct