When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”-Mark 2:17 NLT
Jesus has come, not to call the righteous but sinners. Just as a doctor visits the sick, Jesus seeks out those in greatest need. This was a situation that needed not be avoided, the company of sinners is what Jesus would seek out. They are the most in need of his healing. I feel like this applies today to us at our churches, in our families, and our workplaces. How is our attitude to others? Would we have felt comfortable at Levi’s dinner party?
When I think of this verse, I think of my mom. She was friends with almost everyone. She took a special liking to those that most would view as outcast or that had completely different views than she had. My oldest brother, my sister and I recently had this talk about her. We talked about how it was sometimes embarrassing how she was willing to take everyone in, help out everyone and befriend even those that were a little different or odd or had different beliefs than us. But we all agreed we are who we are today because of those times. My sister said something along the lines of her compassion for people is what made her come off hard at times but it was that love that she had for others that was so big that helped us even though we didn't always want to agree or believe at the time what she was doing was right.
When I was in college, I remember reaching out to those that were quiet or didn't believe the same as me or that seemed like they may not have a group of friends. I invited them to my college church group every chance I got. I prayed with people when I felt lead to even if I knew they may think of me as weird or different. Some of my closest friends now were those that I opened my heart to and reached out with love despite what my head or mind was telling me to do.
And now looking back at those times my mom befriended those people, I realized that it was out of love! And like these verses say, it's the sick people, (the sinners) that need a doctor. Jesus ate with sinners! He loved these people! Just like Jesus, my mom loved these people! She knew the best way to tell them about Jesus was to be their friend, to love them like no one else did! Then naturally these topics could come up and she could bring others to Christ or they would see Christ in how she was!
It's amazing to me how our world is now. I'm the first to admit, I've backed out of a situation when I knew a person would be there around my children that I wasn't comfortable with, but recently I've been wondering if I made the right decision. Should I have befriended this person? Should I have loved them? Did I not teach my children about Jesus' love when I backed out of the situation? Should I expose my children to those that don't believe the same as us? What would you do? In college, I would have instantly befriended this person! But now with children of my own, I doubted it and got out of the situation immediately. I don't want them being exposed to this. I didn't want them knowing there were others that believed differently than us yet. I want to teach them right from wrong. I want them to know Jesus' love and how we should love others like Jesus, but yet did I do that by escaping this situation? Raising children is so hard! There's so many what ifs. Am I doing this right? Did I do that wrong? I know God entrusted me with my children! He gave them to me for a reason! I don't want to screw up! I want to train them up in a way that they should go. The Bible says, "Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it."-Proverbs 22:6
Doubting how we parent or if we are doing a good job is normal, but ultimately this should be our goal! Point them to Jesus so that when they are older they will not depart from it!
