The secular world often asserts that since “Jesus hung out with sinners,” a shift from unrighteous to holy living is not necessary – and anyone who would encourage otherwise is being judgmental.
A common societal interpretation of “hanging out” means actively spending time with or sharing life with a particular friend-group. However, when we study the Gospels, we learn that Jesus did not “hang out with sinners” – at least, not in this sense of what “hanging out” signifies.
During Jesus’s ministry, He shared life with His disciples. With the exception of when Jesus went to quiet places to pray, He traveled with and ministered alongside His closest friends and confidants. And while some in Jesus’s circle may have previously lived immorally – like Matthew, the tax collector – we know that when Jesus extended the invitation for them to “become fishers of men” (Matthew 4:18-19,) the disciples left their previous lifestyles behind in order to follow Him. Likewise, several women followed Jesus and His disciples during their journeys; women like Mary Magdalene, whom had been healed of unclean spirits.
Many years ago, I remember listening to a pastor preach a sermon about the importance of the company we keep. He mentioned a wise saying that his own father often repeated to him throughout his childhood: “Friends are like elevators. They will either lift you up or bring you down.” Likewise, the Bible confirms that who we surround ourselves with matters. “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.'” (1 Corinthians 15:33.) “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” (Proverbs 13:20.) While Kingdom-people are called to be kind and respectful to all, if we consciously choose to “hang out with” those living apart from God, we run the real risk of being pulled towards secular or unholy beliefs and behaviors.
Jesus demonstrated to His followers that our lives are shaped by those we walk with. Jesus chose His disciples not because they were religiously impressive or socially elite, but because their ordinary backgrounds made them ideal vessels for God’s kingdom work. They were willing and responsive, humble and teachable, and spiritually prepared for the journey ahead. While Jesus’s closest friends often stumbled and made mistakes, they were not actively engaged in sinful manners of living. 2 Corinthians 6:14 declares, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” It was essential for Jesus to “hang out with” and walk alongside individuals whose transformed hearts enabled them to grasp His teachings, model His love, and carry His message forward in unity and purpose.
Throughout Jesus’s ministry, we learn that He had ephemeral yet powerful moments with those leading sinful lifestyles. Jesus met people where they were and offered them hope, truth, and love – grace which was previously denied to outcasts by the religious elite of the day. During these encounters, sinners were given the opportunity to repent of their iniquities, accept Jesus’s forgiveness, and be transformed by the power of His love.
Despite what the secular world declares, Jesus was unable to casually “hang out with sinners,” because deliberately embracing or persisting in sin is incompatible with being a disciple of Christ. “Then Jesus said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’” (Luke 9:23.) A life devoted to Jesus means one must deny themselves (put aside all selfish desires, plans, priorities, and inclinations,) take up their cross daily (willingly embrace self-denial and endure whatever hardships come ,) and follow Him (surrender one’s life to Jesus’s authority and obey His teachings.)
In a world that often misrepresents Jesus’s approach, we must remember that His entire ministry was about calling people into new life. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17.) Jesus met sinners, extended them hope and grace, and provided a real, attainable path to salvation.
Ultimately, Jesus encountered broken people so that He could heal their hearts and bring them into His kingdom. “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:14-15.)
This is Jesus—redeemer, restorer, and forever the friend of sinners.