The Narrow Path Ministries

Someone mentioned the other day that Jesus didn't just "hang out" with sinners but would have been telling them of their sins and convincing them of their need to repent and so forth. I'm curious what folks think about that.

I just remembered where the discussion was -- see this video and my comments

https://www.facebook.com/reel/136072458 ... &ref=notif

Darin,

You asked:

Someone mentioned the other day that Jesus didn't just "hang out" with sinners but would have been telling them of their sins and convincing them of their need to repent and so forth. I'm curious what folks think about that.

I don't use Facebook; when I tried to watch the video there were words on top of words, then I noticed there was audio and clicked on that but the audio kept repeating so I gave up.

In response to your question, before I saw the video, I had considered posting John 5:1-14 and John 8:1-11 where Jesus told the man and then the woman to stop sinning, an imperative in the Greek. Then, in the part of the video I heard, the same portions of scripture were mentioned so I think the man in the video is exactly right.

What do you click on to hear the whole thing and how long is the video? Guess I'm too old and lazy to figure it out (83 on Christmas eve).

Homer wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:15 pm

Darin,

You asked:

Someone mentioned the other day that Jesus didn't just "hang out" with sinners but would have been telling them of their sins and convincing them of their need to repent and so forth. I'm curious what folks think about that.

I don't use Facebook; when I tried to watch the video there were words on top of words, then I noticed there was audio and clicked on that but the audio kept repeating so I gave up.

In response to your question, before I saw the video, I had considered posting John 5:1-14 and John 8:1-11 where Jesus told the man and then the woman to stop sinning, an imperative in the Greek. Then, in the part of the video I heard, the same portions of scripture were mentioned so I think the man in the video is exactly right.

What do you click on to hear the whole thing and how long is the video? Guess I'm too old and lazy to figure it out (83 on Christmas eve).

It is a FB video "short" - it should autoplay when you click on it and is about 2-3 minutes long then repeats. If you click on the "comment bubble" you'll see the comment thread.

The two John passages are either someone Jesus just "healed"/"saved" or someone in the "faith" where their judgment was already in issue. In both cases, it was after salvation/forgiveness of a sort and an instruction of how to live once "saved." I don't see anything to suggest Jesus was out proclaiming people's sin to people in the general population (and especially gentiles/sinners with whom he was "hanging out" with). I'd love to know more about this as it would be instructive as to how we are to live in the world.

From my perspective, Jesus never expected the "world" to live sinless lives and that holiness was something really only expected (and perhaps even possible) from those following him and living as the "church."

I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. (Lk. 13:3 NKJ)

dizerner wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 22, 2022 10:55 am

I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. (Lk. 13:3 NKJ)

That is another example where followers or seekers or critics were coming to him to engage him in such matters. Not his unsolicited interaction with ordinary people in their ordinary lives, eating, partying and so forth. No doubt if someone at a dinner party who had heard of his teachings had asked him about sin and so forth that he would have been honest and told them such things. But, that is different than him confronting someone in their ordinary lives with their sins.

There's definitely an appropriate time, place and way to talk about sin, and it's not to shout at people they are sinful all the time no matter what.

Certainly I believe Christ was tactful and appropriate and only preached to people who were open, inquired of him, or were already in a ministry.

I myself had to learn to let the Holy Spirit do the work and try to be friendly and graceful to people living in open sin while knowing I can't approve of their lifestyle.

It appears that He was led by the Holy Spirit, sometimes to expose and rebuke sin, other times to be silent. He didn't appear to say anything (that we know about) at the wedding at Cana. Had His mother, Mary, not pressed Him, He may have not even performed the miracle there. There is the general principle (and command): "Do not cast your pearls before swine.", which always has to be obeyed.