friend of sinners
“Then the Son of Man came, he ate and drank, and people said: ‘Look at this man! A glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” – Matthew 11:19
“Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are.” This is an oft-repeated quote I heard from my parents, teachers and elders when I was young to drive home the point that I should dissociate myself from classmates and neighbors who have a bad record in school or the community lest I also be branded as such. As I matured, however, I realized that a person can be a catalyst for change. But how can we expect “bad” people to change if the good ones avoid them like a plague?
This was exactly what Jesus did. He did not avoid tax collectors and sinners; instead, He befriended them and dined with them. Jesus had His reasons for doing so — He changed their ways, as we saw in Zaccheus, the tax collector who made amends for his wrongdoings (Luke 19:1-10).
Let us, therefore, not judge a person on the basis of who his friends or companions are. Instead, let us look at the intention of that person. Bay Cabrera (baycabrera@yahoo.com)
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REFLECTION:
Jesus, by His example, taught us not to judge other people by the company they keep. Have we been judgmental of others?
Lord, teach us not to be harsh in our judgment of others.
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