February 18, 2012 – Hebrews 10 - 10:25

When you think about the Old Testament and the treatment of those that were unclean or sinful, the idea was to keep them out of the community.  The Lepers would have to yell “unclean, unclean” and warn you that they were near.  Here we see in the Early church community that those sinners were not to stay away but you are called to draw them near.  Christ changed the way you deal with the unclean and sinful.  You do not keep them at a distance.  You bring them in so you can bring about their healing.  No one can be cleansed while they stay outside the community.  We so often keep people at a distance for one reason or another.  Remember that whenever we do that, we are going completely opposite of Christ teaching.  We are called to be welcoming of everyone into are community so that we can help them on their way to healing. 

This does not mean to be tolerant of everyone’s viewpoint.  That can sometimes be understood as what Christ was about.  He accepted everyone and ate with sinners because of His tolerance and acceptance of people’s views or sinful ways.  That is the wrong notion.  Christ was completely aware of what sin was and knew that people around Him were sinful.  He did not allow sinful people around because He was tolerant of their sin.  He brought them around to heal them from it, to show them the Truth and the falsity of their ways.  We have a duty to welcome people into our community but also a duty to lead them to the Truth in our community.  If you understand Christ tolerance of sinners as an instruction or a basis for moral relativism, then you are sadly and greatly misunderstanding Christ and His message.