The Company You Keep

In my Bible there is a heading above Matt. 9:10-13, Mk. 2:15-17, and Lk. 6:29-32 which reads, "Jesus Eats with Sinners." The Pharisees complained about this fact and because of it accused Christ of sinning Himself. Now remember, just because the Pharisees made the accusation doesn't prove the sin. Jesus turned His dinner hosts into disciples. He took Levi from tax collector to apostle. Jesus did all things well (Mk. 7:37). Concerning what Jesus was doing, what company shall we keep? Read 2 Cor. 6:14-18 and you will find the commandment concerning uniting with immoral people. There are many other verses in the New Testament which address this topic. For balance we must remember the words of Paul in 1 Cor. 5:9-11 - "I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person." It is impossible for us to live on the world without knowing people of the world. If we know the will of God it is our duty to humbly share it with others. But when folks who know better choose to engage in sunful acts that harm the kingdom we shall have no part with them. In some cases, we actually have more precedent for dining with sinners than we do with "Christians" who are engaged in worldly living. Sin is still sin, and we have no excuse to sin by ourselves or with others (1 Cor. 10:13). However, we still have the responsibility of a good influence (Matt. 5:13-16). So I keep that header in my Bible in mind - "Jesus Eats with Sinners." And don't we appreciate that?