Have You Eaten with Sinners Lately?

“Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!” Luke 15:1-2

When was the last time you shared a meal or had a cup of coffee with some unbelieving friends for the purpose of sharing Christ with them? Jesus Christ often broke bread with His unbelieving friends, so frequently that He developed a bad reputation. "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them," (NIV) was the accusation by the religious elite. The Pharisees felt like Jesus was a fool to lower himself by close association with these reprobates. We know that the contrary is actually true. God loves sinners, all of us! He wants us to imitate Him.

“Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!” Luke 15:1-2

When was the last time you shared a meal or had a cup of coffee with some unbelieving friends for the purpose of sharing Christ with them? Jesus Christ often broke bread with His unbelieving friends, so frequently that He developed a bad reputation. "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them," (NIV) was the accusation by the religious elite. The Pharisees felt like Jesus was a fool to lower himself by close association with these reprobates. We know that the contrary is actually true. God loves sinners, all of us! He wants us to imitate Him.

So, who are your non-Christian friends? Do you have any, or are you so busy with church activities that you don’t have time for the lost? Aren’t you thankful that believers had time for you before you came to Christ? I want to encourage you to work on developing friendships with lost people so you can share God’s love and forgiveness with them. They too need a Savior!

My wife and I just returned from visiting our non-Christian friends in a near-by city. We connected with this couple last year. Since then we have enjoyed a few meals together, watched their children’s dance performance and spent the night at their apartment. They heard from us how to know God during one of these times. We pray often for God to open the eyes to their need for Jesus. We try to show a genuine interest in their lives so they will see Christ in us. We’ve had deep discussions about raising children and moral issues. It’s not complicated. It starts with your heart, your heart’s desire. What do you really want? What do you think about? Jesus was a friend of sinners. He wanted to listen to them, as well as speak to them. He wanted to laugh with them, as well as share the word of truth. You can do that with God’s help. The Holy Spirit in you has this love for sinners. Ask God to fill you with His love and invite someone over for dinner.

Stephen S. Nelson

GCM Missionary/Kiev, Ukraine

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