Jesus, Friend of Sinners

I was reading in  Matthew 11: 16-19 today and like a new thing to my mind, these words appeared for the many hundreth time and yet for the first time:

“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:

‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not lament.’

 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

Jesus is a friend of sinners.  And tax collectors, no one likes tax collectors, we understand that. But then we realize that we have to lump ourselves in with the “sinners”.  No one likes a sinner either.
I’m so glad Jesus is a friend of sinners because I am a sinner. And I don’t think its anything to be taken lightly or flippantly. You may have seen that video at Youtube where a 70’s band plays and sings a stupid song called Jesus is My Friend…. well He’s not a friend like that.  He is a Friend to sinners.  God stoops down so low to take us in and show us that we are wanted. Jesus befriends us when no one else will because we’re just so deplorable and He is filled with Grace for sinners.

Then I looked at that last phrase that Jesus spoke; “But wisdom is justified by her children.”

No preacher of the truth will please everyone. The very best of Gospel preachers of liberty in Christ will be reproached by some (most?). But sooner or later they will be vindicated by God, justified and shown to be upright.

God will justify those who believe in Christ as well. That includes us sinners who are the friends of Jesus.