“Found and Forgiven” (Luke 15-16 )
9:30 PM
In previous
chapters we read about Jesus being surrounded by people who were in need of
healing and others who were also eager to learn from him. In today’s chapter we
read:
“Now all the tax collectors and
sinners [including non-observant Jews] were coming near Jesus to listen to
Him. 2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began muttering and complaining,
saying, “This man accepts and welcomes sinners and eats with
them.” (15:1-2)
People found in Jesus what they couldn’t find in their
religious leaders: love, compassion and acceptance. To the Pharisees and rabbis
Jesus’ attitude was offensive, since they divided men in two classes: the
unclean and the righteous. The rabbis were so concerned about this that they
even refused to teach the word of God, to those they considered ungodly.
But Jesus responds to the accusation of the religious
leaders by speaking to them the “Parable of the lost Sheep”.
“In this passage, Jesus reveals the heart of a Father
who tenderly searches for sinners and then joyously forgives them. His love
sent his Son to not only search for the lost, but to also endure the cross for
their sake. God has the same extraordinary love for us today. He is still in
the business of seeking and saving- and he calls us to join him” (iWorship
Bible)
Yes, He is calling us to join Him! This really struck
me, for how many times I’ve been guilty of that same attitude the Pharisees had
dividing people in two classes -the godly and the ungodly:
” For God shows no partiality [no arbitrary
favoritism; with Him one person is not more important than another].” (Romans 2:11 AMP)
In this
parable Jesus also teaches that God seeks out for the lost. Contrary to what the rabbis believed that God
received the lost, instead Jesus taught that He searches for them to bring them
to repentance and to his kingdom:
“I did not come to call the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to repent], but sinners to repentance [to change
their old way of thinking, to turn from sin and to seek God and His
righteousness].” (Luke 5:32)
This same He taught as he mentioned the shepherd
searching for the lost sheep in this parable:
“5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his
shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And
when he gets home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to
them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ 7 I tell you in the
same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. ” (15:5-7, 10)
We don't often think of God as rejoicing, but this passage tells us that He does, because He loves us so! (Is. 62:5; Zeph. 3:17, John 3:16)
"The truth here taught is just this: that mercy stretches forth her hand to misery, that grace receives men as sinners, that it deals with demerit, unworthiness and worthlessness; that those who think themselves righteous are not the objects of divine compassion, but the unrighteous, the guilty and the undeserving, are the proper subjects for the infinite mercy of God; in a word, that salvation is not of merit but of grace." (Spurgeon)
But what about us who have already received His saving grace: Do we feel the same about the lost? “So what are we willing to endure, how far are we willing to search, how much will we allow our “households” to be turned upside down in order to bring the lost to God?” (iWorship Bible)
May our hearts be filled with the same love and compassion Jesus has for the lost.
Mari
0 comments