1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

have inherited partially depraved minds, partially unbalancedbrains and morals.St. Paul, speaking of the very noblest class, declares,"We cannot do the things which we would"--any of us;hence all humanity are sinners. "There is none righteous,no, not one." Therefore it is merely a question of thedegree of sinfulness, and the degree is often measured bythe degree of inherited weakness, or the degree of surroundingtemptations. The really reprehensible andblameworthy sinners are those who sin wilfully, deliberately,knowingly, intentionally, without either will or effortto resist sin. But it is not ours to judge which these are.Indeed, we are incompetent to judge, we cannot read theheart, we cannot fully appreciate the degree of the temptationand the weakness of the tempted. Hence the Mastersaid, "Judge nothing before the time." In due time thesaints will judge the world, but not now.Now we must follow the Master's example; and wemay well do this because, although He knew what was inman, as we could not know, He was very charitable, whichleads us to suppose that if we were perfect we would beall the more charitable towards sinners, though not at allsympathetic with sin.Who can read the New Testament Gospel narrativesR5032 : page 168without realizing that Jesus was indeed a "Friend ofsinners," as was charged against Him by the Pharisees?And is not this the feature of the Bible which speciallycommends it to humanity? With the exception of thewilful sinners, whom we must hope are few, there comesa time when sin is seen in its true color and is detested.Then is the time when the gospel Message from theFriend of sinners specially appeals to such. All seem toknow instinctively that Jesus stands ready to be theFriend and Helper of all who come to the Father throughHim.Jesus had accepted an invitation to dine at a Pharisee'shouse. The dinner had begun. Resting upon one armthey used the other for handling the food. After thecustom of the times, they reclined upon low tables orcouches, their heads toward the center where the foodwas placed. A curtain separated the dining room fromthe outer court.While the dinner was progressing, a woman "whowas a sinner," a harlot, deeply penitent, entered. Shehad in her hand some precious perfume, with which sheintended to anoint the Savior's feet, as was sometimesdone with dignitaries of that time. Her heart was full,and tears gushed from her eyes while she sought to openthe bottle; they fell like rain upon Jesus' feet, evidentlyquite contrary to the woman's intention. She was dishonoringthe very feet she intended to honor. Looseningher hair, she used it as a towel, entirely regardless of thefact that for a woman at that time it was considered dishonorable