who wants to hang w/ us?

Tax collectors & other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach.

This made the Pharisees & teachers of religious law complain that He was associating with such despicable people - even eating with them.

Luke 15:1 - 2



I've written before about Jesus hanging out with "notorious sinners".

I've always found it interesting that these "notorious sinners" actually WANTED to be around Jesus.

I'm sure the "good church folks" didn't treat them very well.

As someone told me recently, the reason they don't like to go to church around here is because when they come into a church, everybody "looks" at them.

    You know what I mean when I say they would "look" at them?

     It's that look we've gotten more than once, prolly you too...

     It's that "look" that kinda says, "who the hell are you & what are YOU doin' here?!"

     Know what I mean now?

I wonder when these "notorious sinners" would show up to listen to Jesus, if the "good church folks"would "look" at them?


I just continue to wonder if I channel the love of Jesus enough that the "notorious sinners" around me actually want to be around me.


What is it that would make us that kind of person?

What traits, attitudes, & feelings do we need to display that would cause people to WANT to be around us?

I guess that's the question, isn't it?


And, of course, the other question is, do we want to live with the displeasure & disapproval of our Christian friends when we do hang w/ people who aren't Christ followers?

Or do we just want to hang w/ our precious Christian friends & not let those who aren't Christians influence &/or taint our prissy little lives?


Of course, where would you & I be if the people who showed us the way to Jesus were more concerned about their friends' approval than spending time pointing us to Jesus?


The question for me is I just wonder what it was about Jesus that was so compelling that the "sinners" in that day would buck the "looks" & disapproval, as well as the chilly attitudes, just so they just be near Jesus & hear what He had to say?