READ: Ruth 3,4; Psalm 117; Luke 15:1-10
SCRIPTURE: Luke 15:1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.
2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable:
OBSERVATION: In Luke 15, we see three parables that Jesus told to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Sometimes, we forget why Jesus said these parables. Here we read that the tax collectors and sinners came to listen Jesus' teaching. Whenever Jesus spent time with the sinners and tax-collectors, he influenced them and changed their life , it was never vice versa. The Gospel says many such stories of transformation in the life of sinners. However, those who called themselves as guardians of the law did not understand Jesus' logic of welcoming the sinners. For them, he was doing something against the social norms of the day. The three parables we read in Luke 15 emphasis the joy and excitement in finding the lost ones. We can see a gradual increase in both the value of the lost and the joy in finding it or getting it back. Luke 15: 7, 10 tell us about the prevailing joy in the heaven and among the angels when a sinner repents. The parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates the joy of the father who was waiting for his son to return home.
Sometimes, when a notorious or undesirable person wants to come to Christ, do we show the same joy and excitement that we show when we found something that we lost? Instead of expressing our happiness for their willingness to come to the Lord, we may express our fears and apprehensions. At times, we may question their motives as well. However, Jesus rejoices at the repentance of a sinner. As we see in the three parables of Jesus, the progressive expression of the joy of heaven, angels and the father reminds us that we should be ready to find and accept the lost ones.
APPLICATION: If the repentance of one sinner would cause "more rejoicing in heaven," how much more should I be happy about it! The eagerness of the shepherd to find a lost sheep, curiosity of the woman to found a lost coin, and the loving father who ran towards his lost son to accept him with a loving embrace, they all remind me that how important it is to seek and save the lost. When a sinner comes to God with a repenting heart, it brings a smile on God's face. Then, the sinner's transformed life brings more joy to his family and his society (e.g. Zacchaeus). I should be open to receive a person who wants to come to Christ, irrespective of his history. I should remember that "every saint has a past, every sinner has a future." Finding the lost gives more joy than when it was with me before I lose it. The only difference now is I know it's value.
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