birds of a feather

Matthew 9

9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector's booth.

 "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him.

So Matthew got up and followed him.


10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests,

     along with many tax collectors

     and other disreputable & notorious sinners.

11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples,

     "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?"


12 When Jesus heard this, he said,

     "Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do."

13 Then he added,

      "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture:

          'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.'

For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous,

     but those who know they are sinners."



I've said this before in regards to this section on Matthew 9...


Are you & I so like Jesus, so full of the Holy Spirit, that "notorious sinners" want to hang out with us?


I think part of the reason we don't is that we think they will influence us to "return to a life of sin."

Another reason is we're afraid of what others will think...

     ...that others will think like the Pharisees...

     "why is he or she hanging out with such scum bags?"

     "I thought he or she was such an uber-holy Christian - I guess not - 'bird of a feather'!"

And I also think a lot of the time we just think we're better than they are.


I have one question in regards to all this thinking...


What if the people who influenced us to become Christ follows had felt & thought that way about each of us?