In 2011 when Wendy and I were visiting my parents in Manchester, we took a trip into the centre of the city and walked around. There in the centre of the city was a lone preacher perched up on some kind of a box to elevate himself a little. And from this soap-box he was calling sinners to repentance. But if truth be told, no sinners were drawn to him from what we could tell, and no crowd gathered around him to hear what he had to say. If anything most pedestrians either ignored him as though he was not even present, or took a wide birth around him in order to avoid him altogether.
As we enter our Bible passage today, strangely, the exact opposite seems to be happening. In the opening scene, we find tax collectors and sinners gathering around to hear Jesus speak. In fact, in the original Greek text, the word that is used suggests that they were drawn to Jesus. There was something in Jesus that drew them to him. His presence was like a magnet They actually wanted to hear what he had to say. What was it about Jesus that drew them and attracted them? A warmth? A friendliness? A welcome? An acceptance?
The scene suggests that there was something quite compelling about the person of Jesus. They are not afraid or intimidated to be in his presence. He must have made them feel at ease in his presence otherwise they would not have been drawn to them.
And in response to this scene of sinners and tax-collectors being drawn to Jesus we find the Pharisees and teachers of the law, grumbling and muttering to themselves, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
These are words of disapproval. Look who this man Jesus is hanging out with. Look who he is spending time with. Look who he is sharing meals with.
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” The word that is used for welcome is an interesting one: It is suggestive of an openness and an acceptance. Jesus opens himself to these sinners. He provides a place of hospitality, friendship and acceptance. In his presence, these sinners and tax-collectors feel an acceptance from Jesus.
What an amazing gift it is to feel accepted and welcomed by another human being, where you can feel yourself relax and be at ease and to let your guard down because you feel safe and have been received with warmth and acceptance. There are very few gifts in life as precious as that.
But in response, the Pharisees can only mutter words of disapproval. “Tut, tut, tut! Look who he or is hanging out with.”
These opening verses of Luke 15 ask challenging questions of us:
Is it possible that we are the Pharisees in this story? Are we the one’s who grumble and utter words of disapproval when we see others associating with people we regard as unacceptable, those we regard as disreputable, and as sinners? Is it possible that we are the Pharisees in this story? Have there been times when we may have looked down our nose disapprovingly at someone else?
Or is it possible that we are Jesus in this story? Do we provide a place of warm acceptance and hospitality for the sinners of this world, a place where the unacceptable can feel at ease and let their guard down.
It is a strange thing to say, but if we are followers of Jesus, then it seems to me that if from time to time we are not accused of hanging around with the wrong people then in this regard, we have perhaps not yet being faithful followers of Jesus. Do we only hang out with the respectable people of this world... and if so, why?
Is there only room in our hearts for the reputable or is it possible that like Jesus, we can begin to make room for those that others consider disreputable?
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “ This man welcomes sinners and eats with them”.
When last did we welcome sinners and eat with them?
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “ This man welcomes sinners and eats with them”.
In response to the muttering of the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law Jesus gives three parables for them to think on:
The parable of the lost sheep.
The parable of the lost coin.
The parable of the lost son.
I would like to make three brief observations about these parables:
Firstly, In each of the stories, the person seeking does not give up, until that which is lost is found. The shepherd doesn’t stop looking until the sheep is found. The woman in her home does not stop looking until her precious coin is found. The waiting father, doesn't stop scanning the horizon waiting, and watching, looking for his son, until he finally returns home.
There is a lot of Christianity around that will tell you that if you are not careful, God is going to give up on you. If you are not careful, God is going to lose patience and sever ties with you forever. Those Christians will tell you that God has given you a limited time to come to him, and if you don't respond to him in that time, he will give up on you for all eternity. Forever and ever... your chance will be lost.
But these three stories give a different picture... these stories suggest that God will never give up on us. The shepherd does not give up until the lost sheep is found. The woman does not give up until her silver coin is found. The waiting father does not give up watching and scanning the horizon until his wayward and lost son comes home.
In my reading of these parables, the message seems clear, that God never gives up on his lost children no matter how far they stray.
Secondly, the parables suggests that lost sinners are of great value in God’s eyes. To rural peasants in Jesus day a sheep was of enormous value. Looking online, I see that sheep in the UK sell for anything between 65 and 300 pounds depending on the kind of sheep. In the bigger scheme of things for someone with a half decent job, that is not an impossible sum of money. But for a peasant with very little income living in first century Palestine a sheep was of enormous value, not just for wool to make clothes and for bedding, but also for milk and cheese. Most peasants would only have eaten meat a few times a year and only on very special occasions. To eat meat on a daily basis was the preserve of kings and nobility. And so to lose a sheep was an enormous loss for a first century Jew. In the parable of the prodigal son, the father reveals how valued his lost son is when he places a ring on his finger, the finest of robes over his shoulders, and then slaughters the fattened calf. All three parables are intended to communicate the sense of value that a lost sinner would have in the eyes of God. Whereas the Pharisees saw the sinners and tax-collectors as expendable, of little worth and of little value, the parables of Jesus suggest that they are of great value in the eyes of God.
Lastly, Each of these parables ends with and expression of joy. When the shepherd finds his lost sheep, he returns rejoicing. When the woman finds her lost coin, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ And when the son returns home, the father orders that a party or a celebration should be arranged and that the people should eat and be merry. Not only that, but in verse 25 we are told that there was the sound of music and dancing. A picture of joy. This is in contrast with the grumbling and muttering of the Pharisees. there’s is a sour faced, judgemental and disapproving religion. By contrast the way of Jesus is meant to lead us towards joy. Does our religion bring us joy? Or does it leave us grumbling and muttering?
As we enter our Bible passage today, strangely, the exact opposite seems to be happening. In the opening scene, we find tax collectors and sinners gathering around to hear Jesus speak. In fact, in the original Greek text, the word that is used suggests that they were drawn to Jesus. There was something in Jesus that drew them to him. His presence was like a magnet They actually wanted to hear what he had to say. What was it about Jesus that drew them and attracted them? A warmth? A friendliness? A welcome? An acceptance?
The scene suggests that there was something quite compelling about the person of Jesus. They are not afraid or intimidated to be in his presence. He must have made them feel at ease in his presence otherwise they would not have been drawn to them.
And in response to this scene of sinners and tax-collectors being drawn to Jesus we find the Pharisees and teachers of the law, grumbling and muttering to themselves, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
These are words of disapproval. Look who this man Jesus is hanging out with. Look who he is spending time with. Look who he is sharing meals with.
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” The word that is used for welcome is an interesting one: It is suggestive of an openness and an acceptance. Jesus opens himself to these sinners. He provides a place of hospitality, friendship and acceptance. In his presence, these sinners and tax-collectors feel an acceptance from Jesus.
What an amazing gift it is to feel accepted and welcomed by another human being, where you can feel yourself relax and be at ease and to let your guard down because you feel safe and have been received with warmth and acceptance. There are very few gifts in life as precious as that.
But in response, the Pharisees can only mutter words of disapproval. “Tut, tut, tut! Look who he or is hanging out with.”
These opening verses of Luke 15 ask challenging questions of us:
Is it possible that we are the Pharisees in this story? Are we the one’s who grumble and utter words of disapproval when we see others associating with people we regard as unacceptable, those we regard as disreputable, and as sinners? Is it possible that we are the Pharisees in this story? Have there been times when we may have looked down our nose disapprovingly at someone else?
Or is it possible that we are Jesus in this story? Do we provide a place of warm acceptance and hospitality for the sinners of this world, a place where the unacceptable can feel at ease and let their guard down.
It is a strange thing to say, but if we are followers of Jesus, then it seems to me that if from time to time we are not accused of hanging around with the wrong people then in this regard, we have perhaps not yet being faithful followers of Jesus. Do we only hang out with the respectable people of this world... and if so, why?
Is there only room in our hearts for the reputable or is it possible that like Jesus, we can begin to make room for those that others consider disreputable?
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “ This man welcomes sinners and eats with them”.
When last did we welcome sinners and eat with them?
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “ This man welcomes sinners and eats with them”.
In response to the muttering of the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law Jesus gives three parables for them to think on:
The parable of the lost sheep.
The parable of the lost coin.
The parable of the lost son.
I would like to make three brief observations about these parables:
Firstly, In each of the stories, the person seeking does not give up, until that which is lost is found. The shepherd doesn’t stop looking until the sheep is found. The woman in her home does not stop looking until her precious coin is found. The waiting father, doesn't stop scanning the horizon waiting, and watching, looking for his son, until he finally returns home.
There is a lot of Christianity around that will tell you that if you are not careful, God is going to give up on you. If you are not careful, God is going to lose patience and sever ties with you forever. Those Christians will tell you that God has given you a limited time to come to him, and if you don't respond to him in that time, he will give up on you for all eternity. Forever and ever... your chance will be lost.
But these three stories give a different picture... these stories suggest that God will never give up on us. The shepherd does not give up until the lost sheep is found. The woman does not give up until her silver coin is found. The waiting father does not give up watching and scanning the horizon until his wayward and lost son comes home.
In my reading of these parables, the message seems clear, that God never gives up on his lost children no matter how far they stray.
Secondly, the parables suggests that lost sinners are of great value in God’s eyes. To rural peasants in Jesus day a sheep was of enormous value. Looking online, I see that sheep in the UK sell for anything between 65 and 300 pounds depending on the kind of sheep. In the bigger scheme of things for someone with a half decent job, that is not an impossible sum of money. But for a peasant with very little income living in first century Palestine a sheep was of enormous value, not just for wool to make clothes and for bedding, but also for milk and cheese. Most peasants would only have eaten meat a few times a year and only on very special occasions. To eat meat on a daily basis was the preserve of kings and nobility. And so to lose a sheep was an enormous loss for a first century Jew. In the parable of the prodigal son, the father reveals how valued his lost son is when he places a ring on his finger, the finest of robes over his shoulders, and then slaughters the fattened calf. All three parables are intended to communicate the sense of value that a lost sinner would have in the eyes of God. Whereas the Pharisees saw the sinners and tax-collectors as expendable, of little worth and of little value, the parables of Jesus suggest that they are of great value in the eyes of God.
Lastly, Each of these parables ends with and expression of joy. When the shepherd finds his lost sheep, he returns rejoicing. When the woman finds her lost coin, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ And when the son returns home, the father orders that a party or a celebration should be arranged and that the people should eat and be merry. Not only that, but in verse 25 we are told that there was the sound of music and dancing. A picture of joy. This is in contrast with the grumbling and muttering of the Pharisees. there’s is a sour faced, judgemental and disapproving religion. By contrast the way of Jesus is meant to lead us towards joy. Does our religion bring us joy? Or does it leave us grumbling and muttering?
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