Jesus, Friend to Sinners – A Communion Meditation

By Joe Walenciak, August 2025

There have been many films, shows, and documentaries that portray the life of Jesus, including His character and personality.  Scripture tells us that Jesus was accused and criticized for being a “friend of sinners.” 

People were drawn to Jesus.  Luke 15:1 says, “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Him.”  Have you ever wondered—what was His friendship like?  What was it about Jesus that made people welcome Him into their homes?  The Gospels tell us that crowds followed Him, children ran to Him, and outcasts found comfort in His presence.  What was His attitude and nature that drew people toward him?

Again and again in the Gospels, we see people going out of their way—sometimes traveling long distances—just to be near Him.  Children climbed into His lap.  The poor and brokenhearted were comforted by His words.  The sick reached out just to touch the edge of His garment.  Even those rejected by society—the tax collectors, prostitutes, and lepers—came close.  But what was it about Jesus?  Why did sinners call Him their friend?

It was not because He ignored sin.  Jesus spoke the truth—clearly and boldly—but He did so with compassion.  His words pulled people in rather than pushing them away.  He presented a balance of honesty and grace.  He saw people for who they truly were, and instead of condemning them, He offered them hope.

Here’s the good news.  The same Jesus who welcomed sinners back then still welcomes us today.  That’s what Communion reminds us of.  The bread represents His body, given for us.  The cup represents His blood, poured out so that our sins could be forgiven.  This time of Communion answers the question of why people were drawn to Jesus—because He gave Himself completely for us.

When we take the bread and cup, we are not just remembering something that happened 2,000 years ago.  We are meeting with the same living Christ—the same “friend of sinners” then and now.  He still says, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  And just as He welcomed the children and gathered them in His arms, He still welcomes His children today.  In fact, He pointed to children as an example of the humble, trusting hearts that receive the Kingdom of God.

Here in these moments of Communion, there is room for everyone—the hurting, the joyful, the repentant, the seeking.  So as you take Communion today, let your heart be drawn to Jesus once again.  Remember His love that heals, His truth that restores, and His grace that welcomes you.  And as we leave this place, may others be drawn to Him because they see Him in us.

The ushers will distribute the bread and juice, and in a few moments, we will share together in this time of communion with Jesus.

 

“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you:  that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (ESV)