Who Is Jesus?نموونە

FRIEND OR FOE?

A second question we need to ask about Jesus is whether he is truly a friend or a foe. When people read the Bible, they often look at stories in the Old Testament of God exacting punishment on a group of people and assume that he is a vengeful and judgmental god. Or they compare him to the deities in other religions—like the Greek gods—and assume that he is just like them: petty, jealous, ill-tempered, bitter, and unstable.

As you know, it can be difficult to judge what someone is like from just outside appearances. When you meet someone, it is always a calculation process as you guess what he or she is like, and then test your assumptions as you get to know the person. The same can be true of Jesus. When you hear about him, you may wonder how he is going to respond to you. Is he going to greet you with a smile? Is he going to be happy to talk with you? Or will he be disappointed in you because of the mistakes of your past?

Jesus answers this question for us in a story told in Luke 19:1–9. Jesus is passing through the town of Jericho when he sees a man named Zacchaeus up in a tree. Zacchaeus was a tax collector—a position that was despised by the Jewish people because tax collectors worked for the hated Roman Empire. Zacchaeus was also wealthy, and it’s clear that he had received much of his riches by cheating his fellow citizens out of their money. So, Zacchaeus was hated on many levels.

But Jesus looked past what the general population thought of this man and reached out to him. “Zacchaeus,” he said, “come down immediately. I must stay at your house today” (verse 5 NIV). In that culture, to eat at someone’s house was a sign of honor, prompting people to exclaim, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner” (verse 7 NIV). Jesus was often accused in a negative way of being a friend of sinners (see Luke 5:30), but it was a title he seemed to embrace. 

Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Mark 2:17 NIV). It was the “sinners” whom he sought out while on earth—the people who recognized they needed him. He was a friend to people who didn’t get friendship. He was one who reached out and touched those whom others weren’t willing to touch . . . and their lives were changed forever. 

Jesus does the same today. And this is good news for us, because, as Paul states, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NIV). Each of us, “like sheep, have gone astray” (Isaiah 53:6 NIV). We are all sinners in need of a friend like Jesus, and he is still in the business of healing the sick. He wants to be your friend, not your foe. 

Respond

What circumstances have shown you that Jesus wants to meet with you? If you don’t know Jesus, what does it mean to know that Jesus wants to be your friend? 

What are some things that have gotten in the way of you getting to know Jesus better? How could you remove those barriers to meeting with Jesus?

Who are some of the people you have met because of your friendship with Jesus? How does Jesus want you to respond and interact with those individuals?