01/31/2008: "Love The Sinner"
During Jesus' time on earth he told great ministries to his flock, he tried to show the importance of goodness and love, and also tried to get the organizations of ministries to focus less on the laws and more so on righteousness. While on the earth and during his ministries he also did some things that many at that time viewed as contradictory to the teachings or even blasphemous. He defended the adulterous woman, he ate and resided a night with the tax collector, and he gave mercy and healing to the child of a Syrophenician woman. During these acts members of the organized priesthood or Pharisees as we know them, were very disturbed. They did not understand why Jesus Christ, the supposed Messiah was helping sinners or giving them his attention. I don't think human arrogance was created in the 20th century, and I'm sure many back then thought, "why does Jesus not give me attention, I'm a priest, shouldn't he talk to only me and honor me since I honor God the right way?". Not only that, but aside from not giving the Pharisees that attention, he focused on sinners, or people that were not following his laws.
I'm sure so many people could try to argue why was this? Why would he help those that sinned openly? Why not give more blessings to those that honor and praise him, but that wasn't the way of Jesus. It isn't to say at all that Christians or even the priests back then were not blessed, and were never blessed again in the future. However Jesus clearly stated to the tax collector Zacchaeus "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost". ( Luke 19:10) Clearly showing that Jesus was always concerned about the lost rather than those who were already doing well or following the commandments, and showing kindness to one another.
In another example in todays day and age in a business, someone is performing well and is at the top of there game, most likely looking towards a promotion even. There is another person who is struggling and barely getting by at there job. If Jesus was in that company he would have helped the one that was struggling. While however a strange analogy we have here, I'll tell you why; it's because the person who is doing well doesn't need any help and the struggling person needs a lot of help.
That in turn is the secret and the riddle of all of this. While it seems strange that Jesus would help the sinners, he didn't just do so in ways to reward them with undeserved blessings. He did so in a way to convince them that he was God and He is the Light of the World. His purpose was not to hand out prizes or gifts, but to hand out faith and start them on a path of righteousness of which someday they might help other people themselves.
Goodness in this world seems fleeting with the media showing tragedies every night on television and the following morning in the newspaper. However if everyone had something good happen to them and then passed on that goodness to try to help each other, the world would do much better assuredly.
The cliche states to Love the Sinner and Hate the Sin. I say this unto you, Love the Sinner and focus on that love and see if you can help them in anyway, including helping them find there own way out of the sin.