Jesus and the outcast

[janine]

With a "go and sin no more", I guess.

I guess we'll never know if a simple "Stop it" from the leadership at Corinth would have worked, will we?

[winky]

It seems the differentiation is between those who have heard and known God's redemption, Jesus' sacrifice, the gospel, etc., yet continue to live in or be enslaved by "full-grown, willful" sin (see Joe Beam's GCM article that defines this type of sin)...versus those who are living in sin because they have not yet heard and known the gospel and the sacrifice.

We certainly can't afford to avoid the latter, because they need to hear and experience God's love and salvation, whereas the others have already heard but have willfully chosen to go against his commands.

I imagine we certainly have a duty to pray for God to work in the lives of those in the former group.

[charlie]

When the woman caught in adultery was about to be stoned, Jesus was there for her. He challenged her accusers by reminding them of their own sin. When Jesus healed the blind man who was soon kicked out of the assembly, he was there for him, offering comfort. The most clear point in that incident was that Jesus loves you, even if the religious establishment doesn't. His impatience with the 'religious right' seems to be only matched by his compassion for the outcast.

Question: how would Jesus have treated the guy who was kicked out of the church in Corinth by the members under the direction of the Apostle Paul?

[charlie]

No, I guess not. Jesus taught that if a sinner in the church won't repent even before the whole church, they were to be treated as a heathen and a tax collector (funny that Matthew wrote that one down). Yet Jesus was accused of eating with "tax collectors and sinners". Paul taught the Corinthians not to have anything to do with blantant sinners who call themselves your brothers, but that you could still associate with non-believers (tax collectors and sinners?). I guess I need to be reminded that just because you are treated harshly by those in authority over you doesn't necessarily mean that you are likely to receive divine compassion. After all, if you are punished for doing something wrong, how is that to your credit?

[spurly]

How would Jesus have treated him?  Probably the same way he treats us when we wander from him and go our own way.

He lovingly pleads with us through the Holy Spirit to come home, and he patiently waits, scanning the horizon, looking for the prodigal to return.

Kevin