Eating with Sinners
part 4
20th August 2007
This series will go on longer than I originally expected; until I started it, I really hadn't realised how much of Luke's gospel related to eating. It seems to me to be really important, because it speaks of how much Jesus wants relationship with us (and how much we want to exclude each other from such a relationship). This week, let's read:
Luke 15v1-7
Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering round to hear him.
But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them."
Then Jesus told them this parable:
"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in
the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders
and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have
found my lost sheep.'
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Once again, Jesus is making friends with social outcasts, the despised members of society who, either through their sinful lives or their profession, were hated by "nice" synagogue-going people. He was (and is) indeed the "friend of sinners" (Luke 7v34). Jesus came for the lonely, the ones who don't fit, the ones trapped into sin, the ones for whom life is not easy. And who was it that gathered round to hear him? - The tax collectors and sinners! Let's not kid ourselves; the reason we go to church is because we need His friendship - we need someone who will love us as we are, with all our sin and social failure.
When I re-read this passage recently, I found joy leaping up in my heart! How wonderful! Jesus welcomes sinners! What terrific news this is! And Jesus "eats with them". Eating dinner together is a sign of real friendship and acceptance. This shows us that Jesus wants real friendship, real relationship with sinful people! Jesus wants to be my friend - and yours!
But the Pharisees (the self-righteous) and the scribes (the equivalent of today's Bible teachers) started muttering. They were shocked that "This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them". How could this teacher, this leader, this prophet, this man who claimed to be the Son of God, associate Himself with such horrible people? How could the one who claimed to be sinless choose to be in the company of sinners?
The poor, deluded Pharisees and scribes had been religious for so long, and had made up so many religious-sounding rules for themselves (and for everyone else). They went to the synagogue every week, they tithed everything they had, they preached, and led worship, and were respected by everyone. They'd forgotten that they were sinners, too. And we can find people just like them in almost every church in the land. We think of ourselves as being good people. And, if we have truly known a work of God's grace in our lives, we are better than we were - the Holy Spirit does make a difference. But we have not stopped needing God's forgiveness - we still sin. And we must not look down on those who have not yet received God's forgiveness - or on those Christians who have lost their way for a time. Our job is to welcome sinners and eat with them - just as Jesus did.
And, whether you go to church or not, if you think of yourself as too sinful for God, remember: Jesus wants to be your friend. He wants to help. He has power to transform your life - both inside and out. He loves you!