How do we "eat with sinners" after Christ?

[nablaise]

I have been thinking about what it could mean for me to “eat with sinners” after Christ.

Examples from Christ:

• Visiting a tax collector and having dinner at his house
• Hanging around alone with the samaritan women who had had 5 husbends while she was not supposed to associate/been in contact with a jew
• etc…

Can these be valid example of modelling Christ the way a Christian is supposed to.

• Participating in an atheist group/forum in hope of despelling myth about the Gospel and God
• Joining a nudist social network in hope of shading light on the true meaning of the human body and human nudity as well as human sexuality.
• etc

In both these cases, there is a serious risk of being contaminated by the ‘impurities’, however there is also a situation of great spiritual poverty, and perhaps great opportunity to “help the poor”. Is it valid to compare such cases with missionaries who would go to help people infected with AIDS, leprosy, drug addiction, etc?

Thanks for your feedback and God bless

 

[Ferds_Guiang]

One thing which gives me reservation about joining atheist or nudist forums is the quality of their openness to hear contrary views. I think in the two gospel episodes you mentioned, the tax collectors and the samaritan woman were to some degree open to hear the message of Christ. Maybe Christ sensed this because he was directly communicating with them. But when it comes to online communication we might not know how receptive the people are at the other end. Nonetheless if you feel very strongly about this then it is worth taking the risk. But you show know how to be discreet in your approach. Who knows God may use you to attract other people.

 

[nablaise]

I think “their degree of openness” is a good point to be considered.

What other examples can we think of in our modern day life where as Christians we can be called to approch sinners without being them?
I think we need to preach the gospel to these people whose beliefs and practices are now overhelming the Church considering all scandals we are living in, spiritually to physically, without forgetting intellectually.

 

[OraLabora]

I think this sort of ministry would be better directed at serving the outcasts of society. In the time of Jesus, tax collectors and Samaritans were outcasts. We no longer ostracize tax collectors or other ethnic groups.

But we do ostracize some elements of society.

A good type of ministry would be prison ministry, working with addicts, or a group like exists in Montreal “Dans la rue” (In the Street), which was founded by a Catholic priest (it used to be called “Le Bon Dieu dans la rue” (The Good Lord in the Street) but it’s name has been “laicized”. This group has a converted RV that goes around Montreal’s streets at night feeding street people, and lending them a sympathetic ear.

These are people that are truly outcasts of society. Nudists and atheists aren’t exactly outcasts. They can be, in general, prosperous middle-class folks who have made the wrong choice. Not that they don’t need ministry; they do. But if your comparison with the time of Jesus is to deal with true outcasts, then I suggest that things like prison ministry, addicts and street people (soup kitchen, etc) would be pretty good places to start.

 

[kage_ar]

How about by loving sinners while not supporting the sin.

Jesus spoke to the woman at the well. He did not go to her house or tell her that if she really LUVED the man, it was okay to live with this guy. Jesus told her the truth, and she repented!

 

[jmcrae]

I have been thinking about what it could mean for me to “eat with sinners” after Christ.

Examples from Christ:

• Visiting a tax collector and having dinner at his house

Zaccheaus was already interested in hearing Jesus’ message. Notice that although Jesus forgave Zacchaeus before he verbally repented of his sins, it wasn’t until after he had done this that they actually dined together.

• Hanging around alone with the samaritan women who had had 5 husbends while she was not supposed to associate/been in contact with a jew
• etc…

If she had not been receptive to his message, the conversation would likely not have gone any further than him asking her for a drink of water.

Can these be valid example of modelling Christ the way a Christian is supposed to.

• Participating in an atheist group/forum in hope of despelling myth about the Gospel and God
• Joining a nudist social network in hope of shading light on the true meaning of the human body and human nudity as well as human sexuality.
• etc

Like Jesus did, you could “test the waters” and see how open they are to the message of the Gospel. If they make fun of you or drive you out, don’t try to go back, though. Only deal with people who are interested in what you have to say. The rest, pray for, and leave in God’s hands.

 

[OraLabora]

I know in my “fundamentalist atheist” years, I would have been hostile to the message of Christ. In fact I was hostile to His message.

And then my heart opened up one summer after reading the New Testament. Oddly, I had been actively wooed by Evangelicals at that point, including my wife. Thing is, the message I got from them was clearly not in accordance with what I was reading in the Bible. So I did the only natural thing, I turned to the faith of my childhood, Catholicism, and suffered much hostility as a result. I guess it was my punishment for dishing out so much hostility myself

But I knew I was on the right course.

Of course these days, given the nature of the world, I dine with everybody, Catholic or otherwise, and I have friends that are agnostic, hard-core atheist, cafeteria Catholic, and devout Catholic. I don’t try to proselytize but I often do discuss religion with my best atheist friend!

Interestingly, the most scrupulously honest, and most dependable friend I have, is the hard-core atheist. He clearly has God written on his heart! But I understand why he is what he is: his sister became a JW and sowed chaos and bigotry in their family. It turned him of all religion unfortunately. It sucks, but that’s the devil for you. I won’t stop being his friend because of this.

 

[baltobetsy]

It might not be necessary to seek out these more “exotic” groups of “sinners.” God puts into our lives any number of people in need of conversion - friends, family members, workmates - who need our affection, prayer, good example and perhaps a word or two. We need only look around our everyday life.

Betsy

 

[OraLabora]

It might not be necessary to seek out these more “exotic” groups of “sinners.” God puts into our lives any number of people in need of conversion - friends, family members, workmates - who need our affection, prayer, good example and perhaps a word or two. We need only look around our everyday life.

Betsy

That’s an excellent point, there is plenty of opportunity to be a missionary in our own surroundings.