Skip to main content

listen sinners

Luke 15:1-3
"1 Then drew near unto Him all the publicans and sinners for to hear Him.
2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,"

Our Lenten daily devotionals focus on the Parables of Jesus. Yesterday we concluded the parable of believers as “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14–16), where Jesus calls for visible faith tempered by humble motives—shining to glorify God, not to impress people.

Today we turn to Luke 15 and the parable of the prodigal son, beginning with its introductory verses. These set the stage for three parables that celebrate God’s joy over repentance.

The crowd drawn to Jesus includes tax collectors and sinners—marginalized groups shunned by the religious elite. Tax collectors were viewed as corrupt Roman collaborators, and “sinners” as those openly defying Jewish law. Yet they flocked to hear Jesus’ message of grace and restoration.

The Pharisees and scribes grumbled: “This man receives sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2). To them, sharing a meal signaled fellowship and approval, so their complaint exposed spiritual pride and a focus on ritual purity over compassion.

Jesus responds with three parables (the lost sheep, lost coin, and prodigal son) to reveal God’s heart for the lost. Eating with sinners was not endorsing sin but pursuing reconciliation—embodying His mission: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elisha’s example

1 Kings 19:19-21 "19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? 21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him." In Luke 9:54, after James and John sought to call down fire on a Samaritan village that rejected Jesus, they referenced Elijah, saying, “even as Elias did?” Jesus then taught three lessons about rejection: 1- Discipleship demands sacrifice, embracing hardship and forgoing earthly security. 2- Following Jesus requires immediate, un...
Post a Comment
Read more

I will make you

Matthew 4:19&20 "19 And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him." In our "Follow Me" series, we study Jesus calling His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew. By the Sea of Galilee, a thriving fishing hub, Jesus saw Simon and Andrew casting nets as humble fishermen. His disciples were ordinary workers, not wealthy or educated elites. Jesus approached them and said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Remarkably, they immediately left their jobs to follow Him. This brief exchange conveys a profound truth: Jesus says, "I will make you." Only God can transform us to accomplish His purpose. We should often pray, "Help me, God," seeking Jesus' guidance to follow His plan for our lives.
Post a Comment
Read more

God’s patience

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God did not immediately punish King Solomon when he allowed his foreign wives to build altars for false gods. Despite multiple compromises, God remained patient. Over time, Solomon’s endorsement of idolatry defied God’s covenant, leading to divine judgment, including the loss of the kingdom for his son. Some mistake God’s patience for indifference or inaction, but He follows His plan in His timing. If our nation, culture, church, or we ourselves stray like Solomon, we can repent and return to God’s path. And, should do so sooner than later! Amen!
Post a Comment
Read more