Jesus. The Friend of Sinners

 I once knew a dedicated Pentecostal evangelist. He was a very good, sincere Christian, and he had wonderful ministry gifts. I saw him pray for a little boy who was born deaf. Three months later, the little boy’s hearing was tested, and his disability had vanished.

He was a conservative Pentecostal who avoided every appearance of evil. He would not go to the cinema, even to watch a good movie. Someone might see him and be led into sin by watching a bad movie.

Once he was invited to a family wedding where most people were not strict Christians. People were drinking alcohol. His wife was distressed and outraged that her holy husband was obliged to mix with such worldly goings-on.

I was puzzled. I read in the Bible that Jesus ate and drank with sinners. He did not avoid contact with women, even prostitutes. It made me think about different concepts of Christian holiness.

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.” Mt 11:19 NIV

One night I was driving when I saw a tall slim young woman at a bus stop. She was wearing a tight-fitting dress, and she did not look respectable.

I felt a strong prompting to stop and offer her a lift. Could that be the leading of the Spirit of God? Surely not!

So I stopped and prayed. I was sure it was the leading of God, so I turned back and offered her a lift. She was heavily drugged and talked to me very openly. In fact, she was really he, on his way to a public park to prostitute himself in a public toilet.

I shared the gospel of Jesus, but he said he could not stop his unpleasant night job, because he owed a lot of money to his drug dealer. He told me where he worked in the daytime, so I went to see him to give him a bible.

I walked with him to the bus stop, and he kissed me on the neck. I was so embarrassed, but I knew that was how Jesus loved people. Jesus exposed himself to shame and scandal to rescue people with broken lives.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Lk 19:10 NIV