"But Jesus didn't say 'love the sinner.' Instead, He said 'love your neighbor.' Maybe He knew that we'd have a tendency to create hierarchies of religiousness and pat ourselves on the back for stooping to hang out with those lower than us. Maybe He didn't want us to forget that we're all sinners, but even deeper that we're all children of God. Maybe that's why He used the word 'neighbor' instead."
Some thoughts 4 u.
He did not say it, He demonstrated it.
Not all humans are children of God. Only those with the faith of Abraham (faith that justifies).
Galatians 3:26
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Love your neighbor was defined in the parable of the Good Samaritan.
I understand, Jesus did demonstrated it, but that really wasn't the message.
Thanks!
Hi Mr Bill,
I get where you are coming from. I suppose it would be a bit like saying love everyone who breathes!
Seriously, He did say "love your enemies and them that sin against you", which is more personal and harder. This is God saying love 'your' particular sinner.
He did seem to personalize things by his use of "neighbor" rather than the word "sinner". The Pharisees and Lawyers tended to see everyone (who was not one of them) as sinners.
Luke 10:29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
I can just imagine him saying this to Jesus in a very snide way. After all, he was more intent on justifying himself than really knowing who His neighbor was. Neighbor is not a spiritual status of saved or not. It is a person who is in need and that is pretty much every human on earth, since we all need prayer and we all need salvation (Jesus Christ).
He demonstrated His love for all men.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
And we are to walk in His steps. The Spirit of God in us, still loves all men.
Thanks for the input, great responses!
He didn't say hate the sinner, either. Some, sadly, seem to demonstrate this.
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