Why does He eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

“And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?” - Mark 2v16

There are some in the more conservative branches of Christianity who have learned to focus so much on the Biblical principle of separation that they have turned it into an unbiblical doctrine of exclusivity. In this they are much like the Pharisees who came to Jesus’ disciples to complain about how He was spending His time with what we might call the ungodly world.

There are some who would like us to live in some type of neo-monastic world where we spend all of our time with the church and never defile ourselves with the lost. This philosophy is not different than the mindset held by these Pharisees. Some may even ask questions like, “Why are you going to that staff party? Why would you go to a barbecue with lost friends?”

The reason is the same one Jesus gave. Our job is to go into the world and preach the gospel. Our primary ministry is not to reach the saved, but the lost. How can we reach the lost unless we are with them?