notorious

Mark 2:13 Then Jesus went out to the lake shore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector's booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.

  15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other notorious sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus' followers.) 16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees* saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with such scum?"

  17 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."

I've often wondered what a person had to be like back then if they were a "notorious" sinner. They were pretty bad back then. (well, we're pretty bad right now, ourselves!)

This passage also says there were lots of "notorious" sinners who were among Jesus' followers.

I wonder if we'd be comfortable with "notorious" sinners hangin' out around us?

Or would we be worried that people would wonder "why does he (or she) eat with such scum?"

Scum?

Yeah, like a pimp, or a prostitute.

Or a Republican.

Or a Democrat.

Or a porn addict.

Or a drug addict.

Or the office gossip.

Or an African American.

Or the office fundamental Christian right person.

Or an alcoholic.

Or the office liberal, whatever-feels-good-do-it Christian

Or someone who's of mixed race.

Or the office flaming liberal / tree hugger.

Or a homosexual.

Or a loud-mouthed guy who thinks he's a player.

Or a Muslim.

Or that person who's got tattoos &/or piercings.

Or a Latino.

Or a poor or homeless person.

Or are we more concerned with being more like Jesus, God Himself, who simply loves people with such a powerful love that even the notorious sinners were drawn to Him?