Jesus never directly confronted
political or divisive issues. The
Pharisees constantly tried to trap
Jesus by forcing him to give an
opinion on contentious topics
(Matthew 17:24:-27; 19:1-12; 22:15-22).
His responses were earnest, yet brief.
Jesus did not come into the world to
debate the world, but to save the
world. Therefore, his ministry
centered on the person rather than
the issue. Regarding social issues,
Jesus' philosophy was to "love the
sinner, hate the sin." He was
notorious for dining with "sinners,"
tax collectors, and other "social
misfits" because his concern was for
their well-being rather than making a
statement.
An Example of Controversy
One of the greatest examples of
Jesus' philosophy regarding
controversy can be found in Luke 5.
Jesus calls Levi the tax collector to be
his disciple. At that time, a tax
collector was one of the most hated
people in Judea because they
exploited their neighbors for personal
gain. However, Jesus approached him
and told him to follow. The publican
got up, left everything, and followed
Jesus.
I personally would have loved to
witness the exchange between Jesus
and Levi. The only words recorded in
the call of Levi are: "Follow Me." It
appears this is the first exchange that
the two men had ever had (though I
would conjecture that the publican
had seen the miracles Jesus had been
performing in Capernaum and
recognized he was different from
other Rabbis). The fact that Jesus
approached Levi, spoke to him, and
wanted him to be a disciple deeply
impacted him. The tax collector was
forever changed.
We then immediately see Levi respond
with hospitality. Not only does he host
his new teacher in his own home, but
he begins to reach out to others who
need Jesus. This is the first
"evangelism meeting" recorded in
Scripture (Luke 5:29). Levi
understands Jesus' approach and
begins to embrace it as his own.
political or divisive issues. The
Pharisees constantly tried to trap
Jesus by forcing him to give an
opinion on contentious topics
(Matthew 17:24:-27; 19:1-12; 22:15-22).
His responses were earnest, yet brief.
Jesus did not come into the world to
debate the world, but to save the
world. Therefore, his ministry
centered on the person rather than
the issue. Regarding social issues,
Jesus' philosophy was to "love the
sinner, hate the sin." He was
notorious for dining with "sinners,"
tax collectors, and other "social
misfits" because his concern was for
their well-being rather than making a
statement.
An Example of Controversy
One of the greatest examples of
Jesus' philosophy regarding
controversy can be found in Luke 5.
Jesus calls Levi the tax collector to be
his disciple. At that time, a tax
collector was one of the most hated
people in Judea because they
exploited their neighbors for personal
gain. However, Jesus approached him
and told him to follow. The publican
got up, left everything, and followed
Jesus.
I personally would have loved to
witness the exchange between Jesus
and Levi. The only words recorded in
the call of Levi are: "Follow Me." It
appears this is the first exchange that
the two men had ever had (though I
would conjecture that the publican
had seen the miracles Jesus had been
performing in Capernaum and
recognized he was different from
other Rabbis). The fact that Jesus
approached Levi, spoke to him, and
wanted him to be a disciple deeply
impacted him. The tax collector was
forever changed.
We then immediately see Levi respond
with hospitality. Not only does he host
his new teacher in his own home, but
he begins to reach out to others who
need Jesus. This is the first
"evangelism meeting" recorded in
Scripture (Luke 5:29). Levi
understands Jesus' approach and
begins to embrace it as his own.