I was reading in Matthew today and came across some of my favorite verses:
Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matt 9:12-13
I find myself tired of hearing Christians harassing different people for different reasons. I think Christians see how people like Paul, Peter, James, and John wrote letters in the Bible and think they can just say whatever they want to people whenever they want.
Paul, Peter, James, and John were all Pastors/Church Planters. They had deep relationships with the people they were writing. The people who were reading their letters respected them greatly and were (most of the time) eager to learn from them. That is why Paul had the right to start a letter saying, "You foolish Galatians!"
Perhaps people have misunderstood what it means to "call the sinners".
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matt 9:35-36
He "called the sinners" to himself by doing good and preaching good news. He was preaching in their churches and saw they were harassed. Who were they harassed by? Their "pastors".
A couple of things to add -
- People are only going to listen to you when you have their respect.
- You cannot force people to believe what you believe. Getting mad at them will only push them away.
- Your life is the best testimony you will have. People have heard John 3:16 before. Now they want to see it.
