Have you ever looked at a large image, but your eye keeps being drawn to one specific part of the image? Why does that one part stand out? Why are we drawn to it? There can be a variety of reasons for this, maybe you are drawn to it because that part has special meaning to you, maybe the colors stand out, maybe it is different than the rest of the image.
During His ministry Jesus stood out. “Sinners” followed Jesus because He did not teach like the others, Jesus never CONDONED sin, but the “sinners” were never treated as if they were sub-human by Jesus. He always treated people with respect and grace. This was very different from how the “religious elite” treated such people.
As Christians, we are called to be different, we are called to stand out. The word Sanctified means “Set Apart”. This does not mean that we separate ourselves from “sinners” but that we separate ourselves from SIN. There is difference! Jesus was always able to make a distinction between the person and the action (“Go and sin no more”). Today I find it difficult to make that distinction. It’s so easy to think that sin defines a person more today than it did “way back when” but the reality is that sin today is no different than it was back then. It doesn’t define people anymore today than it did 2,000 years ago.
After Instituting the Lord’s Supper, on the way to Gethsemane, Jesus told his disciples that all people will know who his disciples are by their love. Jesus’ followers need to be known as people who LOVE. This does not mean that we condone sinful behavior, but it means we do not ostracize those living in sin, instead we show them the same love and compassion that Jesus would have shown them.
We need to stand out. We need to show love, even when it’s
uncomfortable.