And therefore they shall do well to divert their thoughts from them as much as they can, and set them upon some business. And if they will still hang upon them, then it is good for them that they be not angry nor heavy through feeling of them; but with a good trust in God bear them (like a bodily sickness and scourge of our Lord for the cleansing of their sins as long as He pleaseth) out of love to Him, even as He was willing to be scourged and bear His cross for the love of them. Moreover, it is good for them to open their minds to some wise man in the beginning, before these temptations get rooting in their heart, and that they forsake their own wit and judgement and follow the counsel of another. But that they show them not unadvisedly or lightly to any unskilful or worldly man, who never felt such temptations, for such may happily by their unskilfulness bring a simple soul into despair. (John Climacus)

Don't obsess over temptation and sin. Divert your thinking and doing by attention to some good purpose.

Find a wise person to talk through the temptaton to sin. But be careful who you choose.

This counsel makes sense, especially in the context of modern psychological insights. But I am surprised.

My surprise highlights a shallow understanding of Jesus. Time and again Jesus embraced sinners. Helping them lighten their burdens and turn in praise and thanksgiving to a full relationship with God.

It was the self-righteous - not the self-aware sinners - who roused Jesus to condemnation.