Beyond the Weekend

November 17 | Redemptive Companionship

November 17, 2015

Text: Luke 5.27-32

At the calling of another tax collector, Levi (also known as Matthew, the author of the first of Jesus’ biographies), Jesus enjoys a feast with Levi’s friends. This appears to be Levi’s attempt to introduce Jesus, as the guest of honor, to this sector of society.

Because ritual purity was a huge concern of the religious leaders, and no respectable religious teacher would ever mix socially with such people (not just tax collectors, but sinners!), the religious leaders were aghast! But because Jesus is pursuing lost people, and his companionship is redemptive, he is right where he needs to be and isn’t compromised by them.

We, however, can fall into one of two extremes regarding our relationships: either all our friends are maturing Christians, or we hang out with people far from God who influence us more than we influence them.

Today, take a few minutes and evaluate your relationships by placing them in one of three columns: Believers Helping Me, Redemptive Friendships, or Non-Redemptive Friendships. Use this list as a visual reminder to move your friendships from “non-redemptive” to “redemptive.”

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