Jesus walked into the room and all conversation stopped.  The place was known as a place where all the tax collectors gathered.  They didn’t have many places where they were welcome.  Since their sin was so great, turning against their own people for financial gain, they were reviled or avoided and very much hated wherever they went. 

All of them had heard of this Jesus, though.  How he had just begun to teach and how many thought he was unlike any who had ever come before.  And there was some talk of miracles also.  What was he doing here?

Jesus just looked around and finally said, “Go on with your conversations. I just came to spend a little time with you. Some of you may think otherwise but, I do not hate you. I hate who you are. I hate what you do. But I love you.”

That sounds terrible.  Jesus would never hate who people are, would he?  He would never say He hated who they were.  He would just let them know He hated what they did.  We Christians have a favorite little slogan we love to throw around whenever someone thinks we are being judgmental.  Especially when it is about a certain lifestyle.  We supposedly hate the sin but love the sinner. 

But what exactly does that look like?  And where is the line drawn?  Just look at that word.  Sin—ner.  One who sins.  It is pretty much a given that we all sin.  We all miss the mark of Gods perfection in some way.  Do we have to?  I don’t believe so.  We are no longer slaves to sin.  But it still seems there is much sin in the body of Christ.  Just look at any Christian news site or even around your own church.

The difference between us and the tax collectors though, is that I am forgiven.  I am washed in the blood of Christ.  I have repented and should have stopped sinning.  But have I?  I have repented, turned from purposefully sinning but, I still mess up sometimes.  I know it and confess it and repent again.  I sometimes don’t realize it though until someone points it out to me.  Then I hurry to go through the process again.  But it makes me wonder how often I sin and do not realize it and no one points it out to me?    

So are we what we do?  In our western mindset, we don’t actually think we are.  We think we can separate who we are from what we do.  But can we?  I read, so am I a reader?  Yes.  I talk, so am I a talker?  Yes.  I work, so am I a worker?  Yes.  I eat, so am I a eater?  Yes, even though that sounds a little strange. 

I have sat here trying to think of one thing that I do that would not add to my identity.  I cannot come up with a thing.  We all do a lot, a whole lot, of things which help to identify us.  Including whatever sins we might have in our lives. 

I know that Jesus hates a lot of things we do.  I believe He hates a lot of things that we do that we do not even think twice about.  I believe He hates sin most of all.    But I don’t think He would ever walk in a house of sinners and say that He loved them but hated their sin.  He knew their sin made them sinners and that that was who they were.  And He loved them in spite of their sin. 

I believe that He loved them, those rotten tax collectors; even if what they did made them unlovable.  And He chose to introduce them to His Father, instead of condemning them.  He let His Father convince them of their wrong, where and if necessary. 

Whenever I hear someone say we have to love the sinner, but hate the sin, I wonder two things.  First, what on earth might that look like?  And second, didn’t Jesus condemn the Pharisees for adding to Gods law with their legalistic interpretations and additions.  In fact, doing exactly what we do. 

I have scoured the bible and I found where it says to love the sinner, to love everyone, as a matter of fact.  I just can’t find the instruction to hate the sin. 

That seems to be reserved for God Himself. 

Disclaimer:  I am in no way suggesting that anything the bible says is sin is not.  I am suggesting that we may overdo some things, in our zealousness, that hinder the growth of the Kingdom when another attitude might increase it.  I know some out there will find fault with my portrayal of us as sinners.  That’s okay.  Even Paul, after years of faithful service, declared himself a sinner.  So who do you think we are? 

Love you all

Tags: Culture, God, Grace, Love, Mercy, Sin, Sinner