In The Company of Jesus

And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Mark 2:16

It can be very easy for us to be judgemental about the company that others keep, and maybe on occasion it is justified, but at other times, maybe it’s not. Our lives are our witness – what we say, what we do, how we handle ourselves and the circumstances we are in.

Jesus spent time with those who were in desperate need of an alternative to their current situation. When the Pharisees questioned the company Jesus was keeping, he replied:

Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. Mark 2:17

Those who are lost need someone to show them The Way. Those who are hurting need to be guided towards The Healer. Those who have been abused need a picture of what pure love looks like. Those who are in the grip of their own demons need introduced to the One from whom demons flee. But how will their needs be met if we don’t bring Jesus into their company?

If we want people’s lives to be changed, we cannot be insular Christians. We need to be relational, like Jesus, and open our hearts to those who are in desperate need of an alternative to their current situation.

Let Jesus lead you into the company of those who need to meet Him.