Take 'em to task

One thing that drives me crazy is when people hang out with a bad crowd and they justify it by saying: “Jesus hung out with sinners and ate at the homes of the Pharisees.”

Notice in every one of these instances in the Gospels, Jesus is either taking the Pharisees or sinners to task, or it is a person who is ready for repentance and conversion.  The Lord had the power to read their souls.  The Lord knew the hearts of Zacchaeus, the woman at the well, and the woman caught in adultery.  Never once do we see Jesus becoming chummy with hardened sinners and leave them in their sin.  That would not be loving.  And He is the most loving of all.  He takes people to task or approaches those who are ready to leave sin behind and see what God has to offer.  So, if we hang out with the bad crowd, we better be ready to take them to task lest we become hardened in our sins.