Jesus, Friend of Sinners

(1) Lessons from Luke 1:1-4

Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash

Dear Reader,

“The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’”

Gospel of Luke - Introduction.

“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” – Luke 1:1-4

The Gospel of Luke starts out with an aim, “so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught” to the intended audience of “most excellent Theophilus”. Theophilus was a Roman, given his title ‘most excellent’, he was a man of high rank in society, similar to other Roman officials Paul addressed (Acts 24:3, Acts 26:25). The name Theophilus means “friend of God”.

The Gospel of Luke has a few unique characteristics. Luke was a physician by trade (Colossians 4:14), and was a companion of Paul’s missionary journey’s. He also wrote the Book of Acts. The Gospel of Luke presents Jesus as the Savior of the World. Luke is very detailed in his Gospel with an emphasis on the healing nature of Jesus to heal the body and the soul, the word ‘heal’ (x33), is repeated more in the Book of Luke than any other book in the Bible. They key verse in the book of Luke is “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” - Luke 19:10.

Jesus is looking for the Lost and wants to be your friend.

All throughout the Scriptures God is seeking friendship with mankind and most of the time mankind rejects the invitation. We often have a misunderstanding of what real friendship is. God wants to be your friend, no matter the station you are in and whatever the circumstance. Jesus was accused of being a ‘friend of sinners’. The word “friend” is repeated most in these books of the bible: Job (x17), Luke (x17), and Proverbs (x14).

Example of a Good Friend.

Photo by Jacob Rice on Unsplash

Several years ago, a close friend of mine picked me up to attend a college football game at the University of Central Florida (UCF). After driving for a few minutes, he asked if the shirt I was wearing was new or when I had bought it. I was a bit taken aback by the question but replied that it was relatively new. A few minutes later, he turned to me and said, “Man, you stink, we need to turn the car around so you can change”.  I hadn’t realized I had bad body odor that day. Instead of letting find out from strangers, he was honest with me, allowing me to correct the situation. I felt embarrassed, but we turned back, and I went home to freshen up.

I share this to say, that only a real friend is going to tell you the truth and hopefully it is done in love. My friend who intervened that day, has never gossiped about this incident or slandered me behind the scenes, it was just direct feedback for a certain moment in time, he is still one of my best friends to this day.

When you choose Jesus as a friend, he is never going to let you down, he will speak the truth to you in love and may even reveal things about yourself that are not pleasant.

A person who chooses Jesus as a friend is wise.

“The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” – Proverbs 12:26

Application Questions:

According to research (Barna Group) many Americans feel lonely. What are factors in our society today that lead to this? What do these verses describe about friendship? (Ecclesiasts 4:9-12, Proverbs 17:17, Proverbs 22:11, John 15:13).

What are some characteristics of about being a friend to others that will reflect Christ? The Greek Word in the New Testament for friend is ‘phílos’, “a friend; someone dearly loved (prized) in a personal, intimate way; a trusted confidant, held dear in a close bond of personal affection.” (Source: Bible Hub). What are steps we can take to be a confidant to others?

Review the story of Luke 5:17-26? There is a quote I have seen not sure who to attribute the quote to, but states “surround yourself with friends who will tear a hole in the roof, lift you up, and carry you down to the feet of Jesus”. Have you had a friend who exhibits this type of friendship and share an example?

Next Steps:

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   References:

   Blessing; Numbers 6:24-26.

   Friend of Sinners; Matthew 11:19, Luke 7:34.