When was the last time you went to a bar with a friend and drank soda or tea so that you could build a friendship with them? Oh, that’s right; we Christians don’t go to bars, silly me for even bringing it up, because we don’t want to “cause” another to stumble. In fact, we are cautioned against this in;
Romans 14:13 make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way .
The famous scripture that causes us to watch what we do, where we go, and who we are seen with, but the above scripture, which I have heard quoted all of my life is actually incomplete, there is a whole first half to the scripture that folks just conveniently seem to leave out. 13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way .
Doesn’t it sound more complete now, you see, the Pharisees who were always trying to trip Jesus up were big on appearances. They liked the robes, they liked the piety, they didn’t hang with people who were not of their ilk, in short, they were arrogant narcissists.
When Jesus was questioned by the chief priests and elders in Matthew 21:31 Christ had this to say;
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
Christ had a habit of hanging out with those who were low in spirit, and prostitutes could be considered low in spirit for the most part. Prostitutes do not do what they do because they set the trade as a career goal in high school as something they aspired to. It isn’t something they do because they enjoy it, it is something they fall into because everything else in their life has crashed and burned, and it is what they have left. They are completely broken people. Christ was drawn to completely broken people, the low in spirit, the least of these. He was appalled at the arrogance and smugness of those who didn’t need a Savior because they felt justified by the law.
I cannot relate to the tax collector, except to think that they were always looked down on by that society at the time, maybe they were known to be dishonest. Scripture pairs them often with prostitutes and classifies them as sinners, and I can’t help but think they may have been of low spirit also. But make no mistake, they were a priority to Jesus and he went where “they” were, he didn’t give them an invite to dinner at the Temple. In Mark 2:15-17 we read;
15While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the “sinners” and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 17On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
I have often thought about what others would think about me if they see me in a bar, or some other place that Christians generally associate with bad behavior. Would it cause them to stumble? If we are not doing anything to cause someone to stumble, then we need to get over the stigma. The Pharisees were judging Jesus because of the company he kept and he basically told them to “get a life” (my words of course).
If we are going to lead sinners to Christ, we need to get out of the church, the work isn’t there, but rather out in the world. We need to be as Paul describes in 1Cor 9:19-22
19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
So just think it over, are you in the church building, or out in the world? God Bless
JFT
Jim, This is a terrific reminder of who we are supposed to be in Christ. It is not where you go or who you hang out with that matters. It’s how you treat those you are with and the witness of Christ’s love that you show them. Peace, Linda
Linda,
YES! exactly. Others may stand in judgement of us wrongly, but it doesn’t matter if we aren’t doing wrong, as Jesus illustrated to us time and time again. We are called to be the “salt of the earth” and to do that, we need to go where the help is needed. God Bless
Jim
This brought the thought of “this little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.” Who can see our little lights in church with all the lights already on there? But what about our little lights in the darkness? There they can shine and bring people hope in the name of Jesus. One small thing to say, just from where I’m at in all of this . . .I had to be careful, due to past addictions, going to parties and such, not fearful of making someone else stumble, but of falling myself. God is faithful! 🙂 Thank you so much for your witness for Him! deb
Deb,
I love this song. Isn’t it funny that a simple sweet little song like that can have such a puwerful message. Knowing your weaknesses and avoiding temptation as most important. But there are other places we can go to set an example and sow some seed. God Bless
Jim