One of the criticisms leveled at Jesus by His opponents was that he was “a friend of publicans and sinners.” What they meant as an insult was actually a complement.  Yes, Jesus loves sinners. He loves them so much that He left heaven, came to earth to live among them, died to save them from their sin, and then rose again to offer them eternal life.

The world would have us believe that love is letting people do whatever they believe is best for themselves.  But if what they are doing is destructive, it is not love to let them continue doing it.  Jesus loved sinners enough to spend time with them, but not so that He could affirm them in their sin.  He spent time with them so He could tell them the truth about their sin and their need to be saved.

In Mark 2 we read of an instance where Jesus addressed this criticism.  He answered it brilliantly with the very simple illustration of going to the doctor.  If we are wise we will go to the doctor for regular well visits. But, other than that, we don’t go to the doctor just to hang out.  We go to the doctor when we are sick and need something to cure us.  Similarly, people who think that sin is not a problem don’t understand their need to be saved and do not seek help to remedy their sin problem. How, then, can we help sin sick souls see that need?

In the medical field, they use the phrase “doctor-patient relationship.” We understand that if we want the best outcome in healthcare there must be a rapport between the physician and the patient. Jesus understood this principle and so must we. If we are going to be effective in reaching the lost, we have to connect with the lost in some fashion to do that.