Acting Like A Pharisee?
Jesus hung out with sinners. Picturing the scene portrayed above, can you see the expressions on their faces and hear the whispers being exchanged by the Pharisees? They were appalled that Jesus would sit down to a meal with "these" kinds of people. Can't you also hear the Pharisees saying, "I can't eat with you, you're a sinner!" Or "I can't be seen with you, you're a prostitute!" Or "I can't speak to you, you're of a different race!" But not Jesus!
Jesus didn't just heal the sick and openly forgive sinners. He called "sinners" to become part of His team! Just as His Father called David to be king and Moses to be a deliverer, Jesus called Matthew and Paul to be among those who would be privileged enough to walk with the Lord himself while he was here on earth and then continue His ministry after he was gone. Jesus had the right to pick only the best of the best to serve with him; after all, he was fully God, the Creator of all things. Jesus came to save, and serve, all people. He came to save us sinners. But, even more than that, he calls us to help do the same.
Who are we called to serve? We are called to serve the same "sinners" that Jesus came to serve. People just like us. Friends, are you answering that call? Are you walking right through the dirt and filth of this world to try to show it the love of God or are you tiptoeing through and side stepping your way around the stench just as the Pharisees did? If we believers won't go there, who will? If we aren't willing to serve the "sinners" of this world, how will they ever see the love of Christ among them? Think about that for a moment. Are we being imitators of Christ or are we acting like Pharisees?
2007-07-23 05:40:32 · 10 answers · asked by Missy (aka: La Tigres) 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
This was taken from www.ginghamsburg.org
2007-07-23 05:40:54 · update #1
The_Cricket...I totally agree...I do my best, but my best is not good enough...I have a long way to go!!!
2007-07-23 05:46:47 · update #2
Hi there, Charlie! Thanks for the Bible verse and the book recommendation! I'll check it out!! Thanks for the smile you put on my face! :)
2007-07-23 06:35:00 · update #3
That's a great point!! :)
2007-07-23 05:47:06 · answer #1 · answered by Charlie 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That is awesome, I think we always need to hear this! Remind oursleves of this! We are called to be fishers of men, and as the Bible says:
1 John 2:5
But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:
Faith comes from hearing, and hearing the word of God- Romans 10:17
They must "hear" the gospel, in order to receive it. And that is why God call us to go out into ALL places and preach the good news!
Romans 10:15
And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
2007-07-23 06:03:56 · answer #2 · answered by Mandolyn Monkey Munch 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He could have not got any place on them, because of fact he wrote his letters till now the Gospels have been written, and he in no way knew or heard from any guy named Jesus, if such even existed.
2016-11-10 04:24:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I try very hard to imitate Christ. I also think I have a long way to go.
2007-07-23 05:43:01 · answer #4 · answered by The_Cricket: Thinking Pink! 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Thank you so much for this call for reflection. Every day we are a little of both. We don`t do it all right but we don`t do it all wrong either.
2007-07-23 08:36:26 · answer #5 · answered by Neil R 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Neither. I am quite happy to ignore the whole thing as irrelevant.
2007-07-23 05:44:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Im a babtist farmer.
2007-07-25 04:57:45 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'd rather be a Pharisee than a fallacy....
2007-07-23 05:43:23 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Christ is not a semitic word.........
Messiah is the correct word.
/.
2007-07-23 05:43:34 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
hmmm a follower of G-d or a heretic that thinks he's a G-d.
2007-07-23 05:47:34 · answer #10 · answered by Quantrill 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋