“An unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked.”
Wolves and caribou don’t go to the watering hole together. Their lifestyles exclude each other. That applies to people too… unjust men, and upright men don’t form community groups together. Their goals don’t line up.
However, verses like these are often conveniently misapplied. We use them to justify spiritual arrogance and exclude people we don’t like -or when we want to party, we are quick to declare that Jesus ate with sinners. If we want to ignore sin in others, we quote the verse that says don’t get the splinter out of your brother’s eye with a log in your own, and we tend to leave it there. But the next verse says remove the log, and help your brother get rid of the speck…. God demands love and change. We love the love, but we bristle at sanctification.
Jesus ate with sinners to instigate life changes, not to normalize sin or promote inclusion. Conversations with “sinners” ended with “sin no more”….or “give away your wealth and follow me”. The Jesus who dined with criminals said - “if you love Me, you will keep my commandments”. He also said, “you are either for Me or against Me”. In other words, choose a team. You can’t play for both squads.
I love sinners and pursuing their salvation is the reason I’m still here. So, at times I seek their company. But my ambition is their conversion. Conversely, when I am in the trenches of life and need help, I seek men who share my faith and will battle next to me.
I wish I could serve God wholeheartedly, and be completely comfortable, accepted, and loved in this world… but that simply cannot happen. I must choose who I’m going to serve. If I intend to soar like an eagle, I can’t wallow in the mud. There are no muddy eagles. I must choose a team and follow their playbook.
However, as I soar, I must remember Christ delivered me from my filth … So, I should love sinners so much that I am drawn to them… Not to wallow in the mud with them… but to show them where they can get their wings.
“Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” - D. T. Niles
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