Kelly, I am including you in this response, as well. Freeper melsec has presented a very good understanding of how Pope Francis approaches sin in contemporary society. Perhaps because modern man is more educated than previous generations, he has elevated himself above church teaching. As melsec points out "Sometimes a preoccupation with specific sin/sinners seems to undermine, in peoples minds, the story of Gods salvific capacity to change people!"
Essentially, to reach sinners, preaching is no longer sufficient. It creates a gap which some are unable to bridge. The pope points out first and foremost that he too is a sinner. He stretches forth his hand to help guide these souls back to God. He does not back down from church teaching. If anything, he takes from the Gospels and applies it to present day events.
Consider Luke 19. Here we meet Zacchaeus, "a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man". That's 2 strikes against him, in that society. {Tax collectors are generally described as being greedy, and taking more money than they are entitled to.) Zacchaeus is "seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature". So he runs ahead of Jesus and climbs a sycamore tree in order to get a better view. What happens next? When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." Now, look at the reaction of the crowd: When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." There was outrage from the crowds that Jesus would rather be the guest of a sinner than of a more respectable or "righteous" person.
How does Jesus react? He says: "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."
Jesus was a very controversial figure in His time. According to scripture, many of His disciples walked away because His teachings were too hard to follow.
With the above quotes, one must step back and look at the big picture. The church has tried to preach to sinners, but some are too attached to their sins to listen. Pope Francis is modeling himself on the actions of Jesus and reaching out to the sinners, inviting them to meet Jesus, the only One who can convert hardened hearts.
Your response was absolutely beautiful. I agree with all that you said, especially with: “Pope Francis is modeling himself on the actions of Jesus and reaching out to the sinners, inviting them to meet Jesus, the only One who can convert hardened hearts.”
“Essentially, to reach sinners, preaching is no longer sufficient. It creates a gap which some are unable to bridge.”
Jesus had that problem too. So when people rejected him for saying, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe....For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me....”, he went on to say, “But I love you and will walk beside you and care for you and we can work out the details later”. THEN the masses followed Jesus...
Or is that NOT the way the story goes? Hmmm...
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, Do you want to go away as well? Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.
You write:
“The church has tried to preach to sinners, but some are too attached to their sins to listen. Pope Francis is modeling himself on the actions of Jesus and reaching out to the sinners, inviting them to meet Jesus, the only One who can convert hardened hearts.”
But neither Jesus nor the Apostles sought to convert everyone. Nor did they modify their message. Peter’s message was Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation.
Stephen preached:
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it. Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.”
In Acts 13 we read:
“Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about:
Look, you scoffers,
be astounded and perish;
for I am doing a work in your days,
a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.
...And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.”
You cite Luke 19, but “Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold. And Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
We must go to the lost, but we cannot just take them in without repentance. We must accept the truth of the parable of the sower...
just didn't like the Pope saying that Atheists get to heaven also!! I think that is SCANDALOUS and not what Jesus said at all!!
I am very upset....something I haven't been with any of the previous Popes. Maybe it's his inner JESUIT showing itself.
Thanks NYer for that post. I may hasten to add that Jesus seemed to pay more attention to the hardness of heart of the religious people than he ever did on the sins of the unchurched. Not that he did not speak of sin of course He did and so should we. It should not be our only topic of conversation though and that was the Pope’s point. If we speak of sin then we are to proclaim Jesus and his ability to save us from it!