What were Jesus’ tactics of evangelization with unbelievers and sinners?
We often hear today an emphasis on being kind and welcoming to others in the work of evangelization. An often-cited expression for this idea is “meeting people where they are at.” Indeed, this is an important first step within the work of evangelization. Yet often this expression is used within the Church in a way that reduces evangelization merely to welcoming and accompanying people. Doing so ignores the reality of sin and the fragility, at first, of the gift of salvation. When all we do is welcome and accompany, there is no real instruction in the Christian faith and way of life, which leaves hopeful converts in danger of losing any progress on the way of salvation.
Moreover, the misuse of mercy can lead to moral relativism and a reduction of faith to mere human feeling and preference. Such would be opposed to the truth of the mercy and justice of God preached by the Gospel. During his ministry, Jesus manifested both the Mercy and Justice of God in various ways to sinners and unbelievers. He met people where they were at in their lives but he also did not let them remain there. Jesus heals, challenges, condemns, consoles, or warns each person, according to their situation.
We see that Jesus is patient with sinners and loved everyone, but he was not always “nice” to people in the modern sense of the term. Jesus says that He came “not to bring peace but division.” He urges us, figuratively, to “cut off our hands and feet” if they cause us to sin. We see Jesus’ harshest condemnation being launched towards the Pharisees and religious leaders of his day. Lastly, Jesus says that those who don’t abide in him are like branches that are cut off, to be burned in the fire.
Jesus can be abrupt, sparing with compliments, and willing to confront others directly about their failings. He can also be gentle, consoling, and patient. He takes different approaches with individual people because each person is in a different place with God and His grace.
Our Lord manifested divine justice and divine charity very powerfully in his work of evangelizing the Samaritan woman at the well. He takes the physical need for water as an opportunity to discuss spiritual needs. Jesus goes against the social conventions of His time to show her love; as Jews did not associate with or speak to Samaritans. In his request for water, he seeks to build a personal relationship with her. He affirms the good present in her heart, while also dealing with her sin. He shows generosity in being gentle, patient, compassionate, and persistent with her when other people would not have given her the time of day. Yet, He manifests God’s justice to her in two ways. First, by speaking to her heart about worshipping God “in spirit and truth.” Second, by addressing her sin – her series of broken marriages and of cohabiting with a man not her husband.
In manifesting his presence to the Samaritan woman in both love and justice, in spirit and truth, Jesus enables her to receive the gift of faith. Our Lord does not badger her but chisels gently away at the baggage of her heart so she can both receive what He is offering and allow it to bear fruit in her life. In this conversation, Our Lord manifests that he is more than just an ordinary man or a Jewish rabbi with ideas; He is the Messiah, and God incarnate: the full truth of who God is.
Christ’s dialogue with the Samaritan woman highlights the fact that if someone is living a life contrary to the Gospel, they have erected a barrier to God that must be torn down. As an evangelist, you need to hand them the tools to begin the process. This is a process of humility, honesty, and trust. Gently and lovingly, we ought to help people confront and correct any lifestyle choices that block them from receiving grace.
This evangelical work also requires humility regarding our own sins and failures. We also need God’s mercy and conversion. Acknowledging these things shows others an authentic witness of integrity: disciples of Christ should be honest about their weakness. When we do these things in union with grace, God can work through us to offer others the gift of faith.
Confronting someone’s sins may lead to their immediate repentance, or to repentance years or even decades later. But it might lead to no change at all. The reaction and the results are not based on us alone. We have a responsibility to show the way to eternal life. Yet, in the end, it is up to each individual to respond to the call of Jesus, or to reject it.
We need to recall that Jesus encountered rejection during his public ministry.
One of the biggest fears that we will face in evangelization is the fear of failure. This fear will tempt us to dilute and even alter our core message to make it about what people want to hear rather than about what they need to hear. We do this often based on two false presuppositions: 1) that we know how the other person will react and 2) that rejection would be proof that we shouldn’t have spoken up.
None of us know with certainty how people will respond when we talk with them about the Faith. Even when we eventually confront someone about the truths of the Gospel that challenge them, and we receive rejection, Jesus is near to us. Think of how Jesus confronted the rich young man in Matthew 19 about his root sin: attachment to possessions. That encounter with Christ ended in the young man walking away, perhaps never to return. Think also of all those who left during the Bread of Life discourse in John chapter 6.
With His foreknowledge and divine power, Jesus actually could read minds. In the case of the rich young man, Jesus still said what would bring salvation to this man. In doing so, Jesus gave him the freedom to respond rightly. He did not allow the possibility of rejection to change His message or prevent Him from delivering it through silence or watering down its truth. The same is true for those who left during the Bread of Life discourse.
Evangelization involves another person with free will, a unique personality, and a particular life situation. You may say the same thing to two different people and be met with two completely different responses. You may tailor your presentation to the person and still be rejected. In the end, we can only present the message using the gifts of wisdom we’ve received from the Lord; we cannot decide the response of the other person to the message.
The measure of success in evangelization is how well we present the Gospel message with love. Here are some questions that we can use to determine the success of our evangelization efforts:
- Number 1: Did I accurately represent the teachings of Christ and his Church? Did I say something contrary to the teachings of the Church or water it down in such a way that it isn’t properly conveyed?
- Number 2: Was I charitable in all I said and did? Did I presume the best about other people? Did I always want what is best for them? Did I treat them the way I would want to be treated?
- Number 3: Did I invite the person to draw closer to Christ? Did I ask them respectfully and appropriately to make a change in their life, to embrace Christ and his Church fully?
As we see with Jesus’ outreach to the Samaritan woman, conversion is a gradual process. This process involves Jesus working through the evangelist through various steps. These steps consist of a human work of cooperation, listening, response, and relationship-building, that is empowered by a divine work of grace. The process of conversion, even when not thwarted by sin, will not always yield visible results in the moment.
Conversion is a work of God. We can serve as visible instruments of this work for others by cooperating with His grace in the work of evangelization. This grace can be freely accepted or rejected and will often bear fruit in unexpected ways and times. Perhaps someone had shared the message of the prophets of Israel to the “good thief” who was crucified next to Jesus; and only then, at the end of his life, did it bear fruit in repentance as he recognized the Messiah crucified next to him.
In the next segment, we will look at what Jesus says on the human and divine element in evangelization and how we cooperate in this work — using the Parable of the Sower as our model.