I have to admit that I was really bothered by the story told by one of our members last Monday where her ex-husband was told to leave their church because he wouldn't stop divorce proceedings. Here's a commentary I read based on Luke 5:27-32 -"Pharisees were concerned that Jesus, being a rabbi, would become unclean by his association with such people. But it didn't seem to bother Jesus, and that is greatly to our benefit today. After all, we too are sinners, and Jesus doesn't reject us. Every time we gather to celebrate, we come to a place full of others just like us - sinners in desparate need of redemption. Despite our weaknesses and flaws, Jesus shows up. Just as he did for Levi and his guests, Jesus offers us his healing, forgiving, and transforming power. This is not just a theory to help us feel good. It's a promise from the Son of God himself."

What I don't get is this - if this person is not at this time accepting the Word of God, how can the solution to that be to prevent him from hearing it any more? Isn't he even more in need of hearing it until he accepts it's truth? And isn't everyone in a church in the same broken state? Don't we all need to have the truth hammered into us again and again? I think Jesus sheds a tear every time a church turns someone away, regardless of what that person is doing or thinking.