A friend to sinners…

In the first church I pastored, there was a man named Mike with a very broken past. But Mike was an incredible artist, and he created a glass sculpture of Jesus with a figure kneeling in front of Him, clutching His robe. One hand of Jesus rested on the man’s head, the other reached toward heaven, and below, etched in the glass, were four words: Jesus, Friend of Sinners.

Week after week, I watched people linger before the art piece, deep in thought—especially a man named Henry, who was battling cancer. 

One day, Henry approached the sculpture and gently touched the nail mark etched into the hand of Jesus. I heard him whisper, “That’s me,” pointing to the kneeling figure, “and that’s Him,” pointing to Jesus.

That’s the beauty of the gospel. We are all that kneeling figure—flawed, forgiven, and held together by a grace that only Jesus can offer. And Jesus, with nail-scarred hands, is reaching toward us even today.

“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.” (Matthew 11:19, NIV)

The religious leaders of Jesus’s time mocked Him with those words, yet that title—Friend of Sinners—became His glory. It became the doorway through which I found friendship with Him.

He’s the friend who stays when others walk away. He’s the one who knows our whole story and loves us anyway. He’s still asking today, “Who do you say I am?” And my answer is simple: Jesus, You are my friend, my Savior, and my Lord. Anytime I see an act of kindness, grace, or mercy, I always think to myself, that’s Him. That’s the Jesus that I know.

Jesus, thank You for being a friend of sinners, especially when one of those sinners is me. Thank You for being my friend. Help me to live in the grace of Your love and to extend that same friendship to those around me. I pray these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Never forget, my friend, you are a miracle!