Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers. The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: “What kind of example is this, acting cosy with the riffraff? 17 Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit.”

Mark 2:17 (Message)

 

When Jesus was in the world, He did not just embrace good people or those who desired to be with Him. He embraced even those that the culture of his time would term as ugly, unclean, and undeserving. In doing so, Jesus was called "a friend of sinners" by the Pharisees (Matthew 9:11, 11:16–19). They used the derogatory term on him to besmirch his reputation, but Jesus wore it as a badge of honour, saying, "I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts" (Mark 2:17).

The ability to embrace all people may not be the most natural or normal thing to do. Most of the time, we allow our own biases and preconceptions cloud our sense of judgement of others while doing little to correct them. This could be done intentionally or unintentionally. Whether we admit it or not, we need God to work in our hearts and help us discover the ability to conquer it.

If we are truly disciples of Jesus and follow His example, it is only a time people are “attracted” to us because they can see God working in our life. Your friends understand that you will not compromise your convictions when confronted with difficult issues, yet you are not arrogant, overbearing, or insensitive when it comes to sharing your faith.

Many of us forget we have influence because we are used to believing that people are uninterested in spiritual matter. But the truth is that many are open to hear our testimony and the gospel message. Pray for heightened awareness of the spiritual needs of those around you and allow God to work through you to bless them.