Jesus Was a Friend of Sinners; Are We?

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

Are We Ready for the Final In-Gathering of Souls?

Jesus Friend of Sinners sung by Casting Crowns and written by Matthew West and Mark Hall, struck a deep chord in me when I first heard it several years ago on K Love radio. My husband and I know too many people hurt by those in churches claiming to be Christians. When I started this blog site I immediately knew this song would eventually make it into the Hallelujahs section. I’m only surprised it took this long.

While praying and thinking about what song or songs to base this next devotional around, I felt now was the time for the message within this one. In these last days, God will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh and call back into fellowship those who have turned from Him. If we, as his church body and members of congregations, want to be part of this final in-gathering of souls and not be lost ourselves, we must repent of our part in all that has pushed away people searching for Jesus. We must instead lead with love in welcoming them into the family of God again or for the first time.

Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away

We cut down people in Your name

But the sword was never ours to swing

Jesus, friend of sinners

The truth’s become so hard to see

The world is on their way to You

But they’re trippin’ over me

Show Sinners a Savior Not a Sword

This verse reminds me that Jesus always spoke most harshly to the religious leaders of his day. If we have any position or influence among believers, we would do well to heed his admonishment in Matthew 23:13. “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” Nothing we do should block others from finding their way to heaven, lest we fail to make it ourselves. Remember, a position given by man does not guarantee a position in the kingdom of God.

Jesus was known to sit down and eat with publicans (hated Jews who worked as tax collectors for the Roman government) and sinners. Once when asked why he would do such a thing by the religious leaders, he responded in Matthew 9:10 “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” This reply showed his desire to heal both bodies and hearts. However, only those humble enough to know they need him, can he touch and save.

We must be careful to keep ourselves humble so we can receive his help and lead others to it. Are we testifying about the healing we have received to others who are hurting, or have we cut them down with condemnation before they can reach the healer we know?

Always lookin’ around, but never lookin’ up

I’m so double minded

A plank eyed saint with dirty hands

And a heart divided

Compare Yourself Only to Christ

As members of church congregations and of denominations, we too often find it easier to look across and compare ourselves to other Christian individuals and groups than to look up at our true example, Jesus, and the commandments in His Word. 2 Corinthians 10:12 warns against this. We must strive to be like Jesus, measuring our Christianity by how like Christ we truly are. Matthew 7:1-5 cautions that the severity with which we judge others, we should expect to be judged. Verses 2-3 say, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”

We can’t justify our sin because some other church goer is doing it. Neither can we condemn someone else because they seem to be struggling with a sin or, worse yet, disobeying some man made rule we follow faithfully. Instead we should pray for one another, always encouraging and occasionally correcting in LOVE. Jesus came not to condemn and cast aside, but to “To seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10. That must be our heart and mission as well.

James addresses church members in Chapter 4 verse 8 of his book and writes, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” This verse recognizes that it is not only the lost sinner who needs to repent. Even church goers can become double minded in serving the Lord if their heart is not fully surrendered.

Oh, Jesus, friend of sinners

Open our eyes to the world

At the end of our pointing fingers

Let our hearts be led by mercy

Help us reach with open hearts and open doors

Oh, Jesus, friend of sinners

Break our hearts for what breaks Yours

Yeah, yeah

How Much Are We Willing to Sacrifice to Bring Others into Relationship with Jesus?

When God looked at fallen man in the world he had created, he both loved us and saw us as broken and in need of a savior. The famous verse, John 3:16, lets us know, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” and Romans 5:8 reaffirms, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God loved people so much that he was willing to wrap himself in the flesh of a man, suffer, and die to bear the punishment for our sin. He wanted a relationship with us that much.

2 Corinthians 5:19 says, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” He sacrificed his life to reconcile, or bring back into relationship, the world with himself. How much are willing to sacrifice to fulfill the ministry he gave us to bring others into relationship with Him?

Jesus, friend of sinners

The one who’s writing in the sand

Made the righteous turn away

And the stones fall from their hands

Help us to remember we are all the least of these

Let the memory of Your mercy

Bring Your people to their knees

Extend Jesus' Mercy to Others

This verse calls to remembrance the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery and brought before Jesus in preparation for her stoning. John 8: 4-6 “They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.”

The religious leaders wanted him to join them in condemning her, not thinking that their merciless judgment would be held up as a mirror for their own sins. Verses 7-9 continue, “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.” When Jesus forced them to face the reality of their own guilt according to the law they wielded as a sword, they could no longer stand to condemn her.

The story goes on in verses 10-11. “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” Jesus, the only perfect one, remained for her to answer to, yet he chose mercy and forgiveness rather than a stone. He did not excuse her sin, but rather instructed her to sin no more. We must all remember that we need that same mercy. We too need to humbly ask his forgiveness so we can go and sin no more. Then we should easily be able to extend that mercy to others, helping them to know a God who will help them live above sin.

Nobody knows what we’re for

Only what we’re against when we judge the wounded

What if we put down our signs

Cross over the lines and love like You did?

Offer Everyone the Love of Jesus

All around us are wounded souls that Jesus loved so much he died for them. We cannot ignore them nor approach them pointing out all their faults and ways they must change to please God. We must first recognize their hurt and show them how Jesus loves them and can heal their brokenness. We must even be his hands of compassion doing our part in binding those wounds. We are to be their neighbor as described in the parable of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:25-37.

In verse 27 Jesus responds to a question about how to inherit eternal life by saying, ”Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” (In Matthew 22:36-40 Jesus calls this the first and second greatest commandments.)

He was then asked who is considered a neighbor. This parable was his reply. He told of a man left robbed and severely hurt on the road. Two different types of religious leaders saw him on the road but chose to pass by on the other side instead of helping him. However, a Samaritan (someone looked upon poorly by Jews,) came by and saw him. Instead of avoiding the man, he poured healing oil on his wounds and bandaged them. Then he went so far as to bring him to a place he could recover and paid for his stay and further care.

Jesus commanded them as he is commanding us, to do as that Samaritan did. Look past differences such as race, profession, wealth, status, or how put together someone looks. Instead, meet the needs laid bare before you as you are able to with love. Only then can someone see the love of Jesus through us and be healed and changed. People can only love God and keep his commandments if first they realize that God loves them. They must see his love through us.

Oh, Jesus, friend of sinners

Open our eyes to the world

At the end of our pointing fingers

Let our hearts be led by mercy

Help us reach with open hearts and open doors

Oh, Jesus, friend of sinners

Break our hearts for what breaks Yours

What Should Break Our Heart?

Reading the chorus again I want to focus on the phrase, “Break our hearts for what breaks yours.” I looked up what breaks or grieves the heart of God and found these three instances. First, Genesis 6:5-6 says, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” Here God is grieved at the sight of rampant sin.

Second, He is grieved by the hardness of the heart of those who supposedly serve him. Jesus was in the synagogue and wanted to heal a man with a withered hand, but he saw the religious leaders watching and waiting for him to break a rule and do the “work” of healing on the Sabbath. Mark 3:5 says, “And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.” They cared more about their rules than the suffering of their fellow man. Do we care more about the rules within our church fellowship than the suffering soul of the sinner who enters obviously abused by the world?

Finally, Jesus wept over the spiritual blindness of a city that would lead to its destruction. Luke 19:41-42 says “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” He then described the soon coming utter destruction of Jerusalem and ended in verse 44 with, “because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”

Do we weep over our lost world that does not know God? They cannot see the prophetic march of the world system toward complete destruction happening in these last days. They are blind to God’s hand moving upon them, their communities, and the nations, while he calls the last of his bride to prepare themselves for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Our hearts should be broken as his was. We should be driven with a burden to pray for and reach them.

You love every lost cause

You reach for the outcast

For the leper and the lame

They’re the reason that You came

Lord, I was that lost cause

And I was the outcast

But You died for sinners just like me

A grateful leper at Your feet

How Do We Treat the Outcast and Lost Cause?

As you likely know, there are many examples of Jesus stopping to heal the disabled and diseased, including lame men and lepers. The disabled of that day like the blind or lame, would generally live a life of begging in order to survive. A lifelong beggar would be considered a lost cause by most both then and now. The lepers were the outcasts of society, not even allowed to live within the city nor come near people without announcing themselves loudly as unclean so others could stay away.

Someone, even today, with an incurable, contagious disease would be shunned by most. However, Jesus loved them. He took time to meet them and heal them in person. He even died for them. They were just as valuable to him as anyone else. How much like him are we? How do we treat the outcasts and lost causes of our community? How close are we willing to come to them and what are we willing to do for them? Will we pray for them in person or only from a distance, if at all? How are they treated when they come into our church buildings?

‘Cause You are good, oh, You are good

And Your love endures forever

(Repeat 3x)

They Must See His Goodness & Love Through Us

Psalms 136:1 of the NIV states, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.” This thankful declaration should pour from our mouth and exude from our spirit. It should be reflected in our actions so all those around us will see and know His goodness and love through us.

Jesus, friend of sinners

Open our eyes to the world

At the end of our pointing fingers

But let our hearts be led by mercy

Help us reach with open hearts and open doors

Oh, Jesus, friend of sinners

Break our hearts for what breaks Yours

And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast

Yeeaah

You died for sinners just like me

A grateful leper at Your feet

This song stands as a powerful reminder to anyone who considers himself a Christian. Reach out to the hurting and outcasts of society with love. Receive back those who have wronged you or fallen away from Jesus with the same mercy he showed each of us by dying for our sins on the cross. Never become so proud or self-righteous that you neglect to help someone in need or feel that they are too far from God’s reach. Don’t cut people down with words or actions. Rather, help them up and be Christ-like so they can see Jesus. We must display true Christianity as described in my blog post; Holiness is Christianity in Action.

I hope this post has caused you to listen to this song with reflection and prayer. If you appreciated the message, please share, comment, and subscribe if you haven’t already. Thanks, and may God bless you with a closer walk with Him.