But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
I’m drawn to this passage because of the word “their”—a possessive. One commentary suggests that these were the scribes and Pharisees of Galilee as opposed to those of Judea. Another interpretation is that they were the scribes and Pharisees of the people in general, not of the publicans and sinners. Yet another simply notes that “all the eastern manuscripts omit this word.”
The nature of anyone professing an official ministry—such as a scribe or a Pharisee—is to be available to the people. In a sense, every pastor in my town belongs to every person in my town, whether the people recognize it or not and whether I personally agree with the pastor or not. By virtue of their office, they claim that God has placed them where they are for the people in that place.
This brings out an enormous contrast. These religious leaders, scribes and Pharisees, who were supposed to belong to the people, had instead separated themselves from the people. Then, they criticized Jesus for doing what they themselves ought to have been doing—eating with, mingling with, and involving themselves in the lives of people – including publicans and sinners.
Mind you, Jesus was not participating in their sin; He was simply present where they were.
I recently had a conversation with a preacher about this very thing. The way to sincerely reach people is not to build a church and invite them in but to identify where people already gather, meet them there, build relationships, and speak to them about Jesus. If they become more interested, we might then invite them to the place where we hold church for further instruction. But it begins where they are.
If we claim to be ministers of God, it means we belong to the people around us.
· Go to them.
· Eat with them.
· Speak to them of Christ.
#Luke530 #ReachTheLost #GoToThem #MinistryWhereTheyAre #ChristAmongSinners
Breaking Barriers: Meeting People Where They Are
Are you actively going where people are to share Christ, or are you waiting for them to come to you? Share your thoughts in the comments! Find a local coffee shop, park, or gathering place where people naturally congregate. Start a conversation, build a connection, and look for an opportunity to speak about Christ.
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