Not Unfriended

March 18, 2023

“Love the sinner, but hate the sin.” That’s not exactly the way we find it in the Bible, but that motto comes from Jesus and the “sermon on the mount.” It’s a pretty lofty goal.

Is it even possible? There are sins that are very offensive to us, even though we know any sin separates us from God. I want to distance myself from anything God detests.

And yet Jesus never stepped around the unclean. He persistently reached out to the Pharisees, though they persistently worked against him. He touched the lepers. He befriended the woman caught in adultery. He spent time with the Samaritans, the ones that all good Jews avoided.

It often seems those deep in sin won’t accept my friendship unless I ignore their sin. Actually, that’s probably my own imagination, my own excuse for steering clear of them. People can sense love. Sometimes it’s the way we express our distaste that offends, not the disapproval itself. We can agree to disagree without being mean about it.

The person caught up in terrible habits or the liar or cheater or even the murderer has something good about them. It may be buried pretty deep! That good is the part I want to relate to. We’re all made in the image of God. Loving the sinner can establish a connection to Jesus for them, a lifeline to the savior they need.

As an ambassador for Christ, I can’t just wait for the ones who need him to walk in my door. That’s not what Jesus did.

Matthew 5:46-48, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don't they? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don't they? So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”