Reaching Difficult People

 I was in a wonderful church for a few years where all kinds of people were welcome, strange looking people, prostitutes and ex-prisoners.

There was a man in the community who had spent 23 years in prison. He was probably a murderer.

He regularly visited prisons and often brought ex-prisoners to the church meetings..

This man's previous life was undoubtedly terrible, but after his conversion he was like an angel to broken men.

When Jesus was a guest of a Pharisee, a woman came in who was living a sinful life.

As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Lk 7:38 NIV

The religious host was indignant.

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Lk 7:40–43 NIV

The Pharisee was probably shocked when Jesus then explained that the woman's sins had been forgiven.

The religious types said that Jesus was a friend of sinners, but in their eyes that was not a compliment. But God is very different from many religious legalists and perfectionists.

How can we apply this approach of Jesus today?

I know women who visit brothels and help prostitutes with kindness, but not all Christians can do that, and many Christians should not.

I have once visited a pub and had friendly conversations with a New Age mystic. Not all Christians can or should not try this.

A man in our church told of a friend who rented a house where the neighbours made his life a living hell. He prayed regularly for the neighbours and treated them politely. Little by little, bad neighbours became human and friendly.

If you treat all kinds of people with respect and kindness, you will sometimes be amazed at how God can transform evil people.

But we also have to be careful.

There are people who only want to manipulate and exploit you. Beware of narcissists with cold hearts.

There are also self-centred criminals who go to church to find sexual victims, especially children and young women.

Not only men can be dangerous, but also some evil women.

I know a Christian couple who always wanted to be kind and help outsiders. They regularly drove a couple to church services, but it turned out that the woman was a witch who was causing great harm in the church.

Dangerous people can be outsiders who attend church services, but there are also priests or preachers who are really wolves in sheep's clothing.

Beware of preachers who want to dominate and personally control everything and everyone in the church, no matter how holy they may appear.