hang time

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

This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people;

even eating with them!

Luke 15:1-2



"notorious sinners" didn't go hear religious leaders.

The other people there would have been pretty ugly to them.

There would have been a lot of judgement, condemnation, & just constant ridicule the whole time.

Plus, people wouldn't / couldn't be around them because being around notorious sinners would make the holy people ritually unclean.

Hmmmmm... sounds like the same way these days we think of & treat people we believe are notorious sinners.


What kind of personna, attitude, & feeling did Jesus exhibit & project that made notorious sinners come see Him?

& what kind of level of compassion & love did He have that moved Him to even eat with them, which in the thinking of the day would have made Him ritually unclean?


Then, bottom line, if we claim to follow Jesus & emulate His life, thinking, love, & compassion, then shouldn't we want to hang with the notorious sinners of our day, just like Jesus?

And wouldn't they want to hang with us?