Jesus" Friend of Sinners

Jesus: Friend of Sinners

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNhz8BMTqsk

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 tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided
Oh Jesus friend of sinners
Open our eyes to 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...
Jesus friend of sinners the one who's writing in the sand
Make the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of thieves
Let the memory of Your mercy bring your people to their knees
Nobody knows what we're for only against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs crossed over the lines and loved like You did
Oh Jesus friend of sinners
Open our eyes to 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
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
'Cause You are good, You are good And Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
Oh Jesus friend of sinners
Open our eyes to 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
And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast
Yeah...
You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

The course was nearly over. The seminary professor had demonstrated an incredible knowledge of the subject, had been insightful and inspiring and deep. And as he summed up the entire course on the life of Christ, he said these words: “You know, looking back over the whole life and ministry of Jesus, the thing that sticks out most is that Jesus really did come for sinners. That was what His life and ministry was really all about. He came for sinners.” That is the portrait of Christ that we want to look at this morning – Jesus, friend of sinners. To do that, we want to look at a story of Jesus being invited out to dinner:

Jesus eats with Levi (Luke 5:27-32)

It is somewhat difficult to find someone as despised as a “tax collector” today – maybe lawyers or the IRS. A bit of background might help us better understand why tax collectors were so hated. First, they made their living by overcharging, with the full backing of the Roman government. It could easily become extortion. So people hated them because they were cheats who profited richly at the expense of others, usually quite poor people. Taxes at the time could be extremely high – up to (and you’re not going to be able to believe this…) 50% of their income – what kind of society is that?? Second, tax collectors were traitors – they had sold out to the Romans and were punishing their own fellow Jews for personal profit. This also equaled an abandonment of their Jewish faith, or at least a lot of the ceremonial aspects that called for very limited contact with Gentiles, and of the rules governing the Sabbath. So they were cheats, traitors, and backsliders. They were the bottom of the pile.

Enter Jesus. He is out walking in Capernaum one day and sees one of these despised tax collectors sitting in his tax booth (it could have been like a toll booth). He says just two words: “follow me.” And Levi gets up, leaves everything behind, and follows Jesus.

Let’s pause here to reflect on that. It seems reasonable to conclude that Levi was familiar with Jesus, that he had heard Him teach. And obviously Jesus knew him also, for He called him to come and be one of His disciples. We have a really brief description of a moment of decision for this tax collector – Jesus calls. In this story, Levi answers, he comes, he leaves everything behind to follow Jesus.

The same is true for us. Jesus calls to us, invites us to come and follow Him. Our response must be the same as Levi’s – Jesus expects us to also leave everything to follow Him. Jesus said “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” (Luke 9:24) He also said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)

As long as we try to hold on to our past, as long as we try to stay in control, as long as we try to follow Jesus without giving up everything, we will not succeed. We will not be able to “follow Him.” It is hard, but it is the only way. Jesus demands our all.

The story continues, and tells of a great banquet. A large crowd of “undesirables” gathers at Levi’s house for a meal, and more importantly for an opportunity to meet Jesus. This was probably Levi’s method of witnessing – he met Jesus, decided to follow Him, and then invited everyone he knew to a giant banquet so that they could also meet Jesus. And they came, and had a feast. Scripture doesn’t tell us this, but do you think maybe Jesus was the life of the party – He was probably the focal point of the whole gathering. Can’t you just see Him mingling and talking with people all over the place, sharing a laugh and a joke, making a comment or insight that people would never forget, simply touching these rich outcasts on the shoulder in a way that changed them. Maybe He spoke to them as a group; we don’t know. But we do know that the religious leaders branded Jesus with the title “friend of sinners”.

We also know that the “religious” folk did not approve. They were on the outskirts, looking in disdainfully. “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?” (Luke 5:30b) This was an affront, a serious error in judgment. Jesus was becoming a noticed religious leader, people were talking about Him, certainly He knew better than to taint His reputation by keeping questionable company. Certainly He knew that being found eating with tax collectors would become a scandal. The tabloids would have a field day with this one! Might even make the front page of The National Enquirer..

Frankly, Jesus didn’t care. I really believe that. The people around Him were quick to see people as a label and not as a person. And to equate that label with an absence of worth. Like today: “on welfare.” “street person.” “prostitute.” “druggie”, “homosexual.” “unemployed.” In Jesus’ day it was “tax collector.” “sinner.” The result is the same, a sense that these people aren’t really people, they have no dignity, no status, virtually no worth. Jesus didn’t care about the label, He recognized the person.

He became their “friend.” You know who this tax collector named Levi is? He is Matthew (“Gift from God”. For those of you who know me, I am just a little bit “partial” to the name Matthew!), the disciple, the author of our first Gospel (Jews often had more than one name). This is very clear from the parallel accounts in the other gospels. He is one of the 12, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, an apostle. Jesus took the outcast – the hated – the despised; and made him one of His disciples.

We should find hope here. We should recognize that apart from Jesus we would be rejected and despised by God. We are all a “sinner”! (“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23) One of those who have turned away from God and deserve all the punishment that comes along with that rebellion. Yet Jesus calls us “friend.” Jesus turns us from a place of abandonment to a place of acceptance, from an outcast to a friend. That is the amazing truth of the Gospel. We find hope for our world! Also – we have hope for those around us, for those we bump into. Jesus can change things. Jesus has the power to make us new. He doesn’t care about the labels, about the status in society; He doesn’t even care if we think we are completely worthless and undeserving of His love! We are!! All of us!!! Yet Jesus befriends us anyways. Just like Levi, Jesus invites us to follow Him. Will you leave everything and follow Him?

Conclusion

Jesus is friend of sinners. And that is a good thing, for each of us is a sinner. Each of us have turned away, have rebelled against Him, and need to turn away from our sin, turn towards Jesus.

And if we are to be like Jesus, we need to befriend sinners also. We need to be aware of those who don’t know Christ, so that they can come to know of Him and can be led to decide to follow Him. That can be tough for us, tough to truly befriend “sinners”. You know what made the difference for Jesus? He truly was a friend. They weren’t “projects”, they were people Jesus loved and appreciated and needed and who served Him. They were two-way relationships. They were authentic. That is what we need to build with people around us if we are to have opportunity to witness for Christ.

How does this apply to us? Do we need to accept Jesus’ offer of friendship, of forgiveness, for the first time? If so, come – accept His gift – be made whole. Or have we, like Levi, heard His invitation yet haven’t left everything behind to follow Him? If so, let it go – lay it down – leave it behind. You will never regret it.

Maybe the picture of Jesus as friend of sinners challenges us to build friendships with people around us who don’t know Jesus wants to be their friend. If so, do it. Start to build those friendships, and watch the opportunities God gives you to share the incredible news that Jesus is friend of sinners.