--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having spent time around \"sinners\" and…" description: "\"Having spent time around \"sinners\" and also around purported saints, I have a hunch why Jesus spent so much time with the former group: I think he pref..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/philip-yancey-840_air_having-spent-time-around-sinners-and-als_83185.jpg" --- # Having spent time around "sinners" and also around… ![“Having spent time around "sinners" and also around purported saints, I have a hunch why Jesus spent so much time with the former group: I think he preferred their company. Because the sinners were honest about themselves and had no pretense, Jesus could deal with them. In contrast, the saints put…” quote by Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/philip-yancey-840_air_having-spent-time-around-sinners-and-als_83185.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/philip-yancey-840_air_having-spent-time-around-sinners-and-als_83185.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/philip-yancey-840_air_having-spent-time-around-sinners-and-als_83185.jpg) > “Having spent time around "sinners" and also around purported saints, I have a hunch why Jesus spent so much time with the former group: I think he preferred their company. Because the sinners were honest about themselves and had no pretense, Jesus could deal with them. In contrast, the saints put on airs, judged him, and sought to catch him in a moral trap. In the end it was the saints, not the sinners, who arrested Jesus.” [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jesus chose to associate with sinners because their honesty and lack of pretense made them more receptive, whereas self‑righteous saints created moral traps. **In simple terms:** Honest company over pretentious piety Key Takeaway True humility invites grace Themes humility authenticity judgment spirituality social dynamics hypocrisy Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type theological observational When to use this quote - preaching to the morally compromised - engaging with marginalized groups - addressing religious elitism - building inclusive communities Key Concepts honesty pretense moral judgment compassion Practical Applications - pastoral counseling - social outreach programs Questions to Reflect On - What does genuine humility look like in modern faith practice? - How can we avoid moral superiority when serving others? A Different Perspective Some argue that Jesus also valued the saints' devotion and that his interactions with sinners were strategic rather than preferential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Air](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air/) [Arrested Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrested-jesus-1054197/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Contrast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrast/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Former](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/former/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Hunches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunches/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Judged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judged/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Pretense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretense/) [Saint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saint/) [Saints Sinners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saints-sinners-316675/) [Sinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sinner/) [Sinners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sinners/) [Sinners Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sinners-honest-1054195/) [Sinners Purported](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sinners-purported-1054196/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Traps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traps/) ## Related quotes > [Saints are sinners who kept on going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/saints-are-sinners-who-kept-on-going/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints - the sinners are much more fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/i-d-rather-laugh-with-the-sinners-than-cry-with-the-saints-the/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [The saints are the sinners who keep on going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-saints-are-the-sinners-who-keep-on-going/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [“The teaching that is all too common today is dangerous. The modern-day church service makes no distinction between saint and sinner. The teaching is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-haddon-spurgeon/the-teaching-that-is-all-too-common-today-is-dangerous-the-modern-day/) [Charles Haddon Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-haddon-spurgeon/) > [Saints are only sinners who keep trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/saints-are-only-sinners-who-keep-trying/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [We are perfect. According to God, we are perfect, yet we know that we are sinners. 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I'd rather laugh with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/they-say-there-s-a-heaven-for-those-who-will-wait-some-say-it-s/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [Love makes saints or sinners out of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-makes-saints-or-sinners-out-of-men/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The saints are sinners still. 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