Wednesday, March 2, 2011

JESUS, FRIEND OF SINNERS

 
I heard Billy Graham’s daughter tell about going with her father to a White House dinner when Bill Clinton was in office. It was not long after the scandal with Monica Lewinski was exposed.


She sat with her father at Clinton’s table and during dinner, observed her father treating Clinton with kindness, graciousness and love.


When they left the White House, she asked her father, “How can you treat Clinton so kindly after all he has done?” Billy Graham responded, “It’s God’s job to judge, the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, and my job to love.”


Luke 15:1-2 says, “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus. And the Pharisees and scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’”  I’m so thankful He does.

I am also thankful that when God corrects us, there is love, acceptance and hope along with it. I’m sorry to say, when I try to straighten other people out, it just comes out critical and accusing. I think Jesus made it pretty clear that we have our hands full taking the log out of our own eye, and don’t have time to work on other people’s specks. This is not to say there aren't time we genuinely need to "speak the truth in love." I bet President Clinton was more open to hear the truth from Billy Graham because of his love.

In response to a newspaper’s question, “What’s wrong with the world?” Catholic thinker G.K. Chesterton wrote, “Dear Sirs: I am. Sincerely G. K. Chesterton.”

1 comment:

  1. I heard a Christian speaker yesterday on the radio say "The problem with Christians is that nobody is trying to kill them anymore." I know what he meant, however it isn't really true in many parts of the world now. But the truth I got was that when we ARE under terrible persecution- it makes us quite more dependent upon God and that makes for holier living. I guess that is why many of us N. American Christians are so soft, we have not suffered much ... yet (most of us).

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