Paul wrote this poem, after reading a Facebook post by a Bible teacher that he listens to a lot…

They were all sat at the table,
Eating and drinking with friends,
The thieves, the drunks, the addicts
All sinners in the the end.
They all spoke loud and proud,
All wanting to be heard,
One who was different joined us,
His presence our spirits stirred.

Chorus;
He was called the friend of the sinner,
Sharing with them more than dinner,
He is the great soul winner,
Jesus, the friend of the sinner.

The religious were there at another table,
We could never grace their doors,
They wouldn’t be seen with us,
We didn’t keep their laws,
They grumbled about the Savour,
And mocked Him for His choice,
He receives and eats with sinners,
But He ignored their voice.

I was sat at the table,
I was one of the crowd,
I couldn’t hear the mocking,
The conversation was far too loud.
I was sitting with the Son of God,
To Him my sin was clear,
He would never turn us away,
He wanted to draw us near.

He wasn’t our friend to just hang out,
Or turn a blind eye to sin,
He wasn’t going to become like us,
He was there our souls to win.
He knew we needed forgiveness,
And to receive it repentance was key,
He came to seek the lost, die on a cross
To save a wretch like me.

By Paul Strahan

September 2022