The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 11, 2016
Luke 15:1-10
Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around 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 neighbors 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. Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (NIV1984)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
As I was studying our sermon text for today, I was reminded of something that happened to me a while back. One evening my family and I went out to dinner. It was Brenda, Mickey, myself and Isaac. I didn’t notice it until Mickey mentioned it, but they put us in the “Children’s Section.” After she said this I looked around and sure enough— I saw that most of the people in that section of the restaurant had young children with them. If this was done intentionally I can understand why. While I’m sure that I never embarrassed my parents when I was young, there are times when children don’t behave in a restaurant. In fact, I’ve heard of restaurants that ban children, at least after a certain time of the day because there are people who want to be able to enjoy their meal without being disturbed or interrupted by a crying baby or a restless toddler. And believe it or not, my friends, sometimes this very same attitude seeps into some churches. People get upset if even a young child is not sitting quietly with their hands folded in their lap. That’s one of the reasons that some churches have “Children’s Church.” All the children are invited to gather in a separate area for what we might call Sunday school. While the children are off having their “Children’s church” Mom and Dad and all the adults attend the regular worship service in the sanctuary.
Now, this is not going to be a sermon about children in church. I would anticipate that almost to a soul we all wish there were more children here in church on Sunday morning! No, my friends, I chose to use the example of children so that I could ask you this: Is there anyone that you would not want to see here in “our” church? Is there anyone that you would not feel comfortable sitting next to here in the house of “our” God? If you even thought about answering “Yes!” to either one of those questions then you will want to pay extra close attention as we study our sermon text for today. Our sermon theme for today is very simply: As Disciples of Jesus— We Welcome Sinners. There are two things we want to see this morning. First, let’s see that as disciples of Jesus we welcome sinners because this is the example that Jesus set for us while He was here on this earth. Then let’s see that as disciples of Jesus we welcome sinners because this is the message that Jesus gave to us to proclaim to others.
When we think about the example that Jesus set for us while He was here on this earth we oftentimes think of His humility and His compassion and His faithfulness. What we don’t often stop to remember is the example that is highlighted in the opening portion of our text. Luke says, “Now the tax collectors and ‘sinners’ were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”
There are two groups of people here that could not be more different from each other. One group consisted of the “outcasts” of Jewish society— the hated “tax collectors” and the scorned “sinners,” that is, people whose entire life was openly tainted by sin. The other group consisted of the “cream” of Jewish society— the Pharisees who fancied themselves the “poster boys” of living a life that was so close to perfect that God had no choice but to welcome them into heaven, and the teachers of the law who were well aware of the fact that they held a very high and honored role in Jewish society.
These two groups of people were not only polar opposites of each other when it came to their position in society, but they were also polar opposites when it came to their relationship with Jesus of Nazareth. For the most part, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law had no use for Jesus. Not only did they think that they didn’t need Jesus— because as far as they were concerned they already had all the righteousness they needed to be saved all on their own— but they also had no use for someone who calls Himself a Rabbi yet He “welcomes sinners and eats with them.” The “tax collectors” and the “sinners,” however, understood exactly how much they needed Jesus! Therefore, like Mary who understood the importance of sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to Him, these “tax collectors” and “sinners” eagerly gathered around Jesus to “hear him.”
While Luke doesn’t tell us what Jesus said to these “tax collectors” and “sinners” the two parables that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law might give us a very good clue. Like a sheep who had wandered away from the flock or like a coin which had gotten lost in the dust of a dirt floor, these “tax collectors” and “sinners” had wandered away from God. These “tax collectors” and “sinners” had gotten lost in the dust and the dirt of this sinful world. Like lost sheep there was no way they could defend themselves against their spiritual enemies, provide for their own spiritual needs or ever be able to find their way back to God. Like a lost coin there was no way they could ever brush themselves off and clean themselves up so that they were acceptable to the God of heaven. So like a shepherd who loves each and every one of his sheep so very much that he is willing to go out and search for that one lost lamb, like a woman who understands the value of each and every coin, the Son of God came into this world for one overriding reason: to reach out to the “tax collectors” and “sinners,” to call the “tax collectors” and “sinners” to repentance, to share with those who realize that they have no righteousness of their own that through faith in Jesus as the Promised Messiah perfect righteousness and eternal salvation is theirs as a free gift from the heavenly Father. That’s the message I think Jesus was sharing with the “tax collectors” and “sinners” here in our text. That’s the message that I think the “tax collectors” and “sinners” here in our text eagerly gathered around Jesus to hear.
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Absolutely! While the Pharisees and the teachers of the law spoke those words out of contempt for Jesus, we join with the “tax collectors” and the “sinners” to rejoice in the fact that this is exactly what Jesus did while He was here on this earth— and — this is exactly what Jesus continues to do right down to this very day! Think about it, my friends. Who of us can say that we already have all the righteousness we need to be saved? Who of us can say that we never sin against the God of heaven whether in thought or in word or in deeds? Who of us can say that we never stumble or fall in our walk with our Lord? Who of us can say that we never struggle in our life of Christian sanctification— taking the faith that God has created in our hearts and letting that faith shine brightly in our day to day lives? That’s why the truth that Jesus “welcomes sinners and eats with them” is an especially comforting truth each and every time we come here to His house. That’s why the truth that Jesus “welcomes sinners and eats with them” is an especially comforting truth each and every time we approach His altar to receive His holy Supper. If we were to walk into church with a heart that says, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men…” (Luke 18:11), if we were to approach God’s altar thinking, “I hope I don’t end up next to so-and-so again,” then we would be no different than the Pharisees and the teachers of the law here in our text. On the other hand, if we enter into God’s house humbly rejoicing in the opportunity to hear Jesus speaking to us through His holy Word, if we approach God’s altar humbly confessing, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13) then as Jesus says here in our text the angels of God in heaven above are rejoicing!
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Absolutely! Because this is the example that Jesus set for us while He was here on this earth and because Jesus continues to do this for each and every one of us each and every day, as disciples of Jesus we need to do the same. Yes, my friends, we need to reach out to the “tax collectors” and the “sinners” of today. We need to share with them the glorious message that our Savior has given to us: Jesus welcomes them— and so do we!
Does this mean that we condone their sin? Does this mean that we look the other way because we are afraid that if we say anything to them they will be mad at us? Of course not! Out of love for their immortal soul we call them to repent of their sins just as out of love for our immortal soul Jesus calls us to repent of our sins. Once God the Holy Spirit has led them to repent of their sins, once God the Holy Spirit has given them the power and the desire to turn away from their sins and to trust in Jesus for complete forgiveness for all of their sins, do we treat them any differently simply because of their past? Do we look down on them because surely we would never do anything like they have done? Of course not! Kneeling at the foot of the cross we follow the example of the apostle Paul and confess, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners— of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15). Then keeping the cross always before our eyes we treat others the way Jesus treats us— “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So, my friends, now that we’ve looked a little deeper at what our Savior says to us here in our text, let me ask you again: Is there anyone that you would not want to see here in church? Is there anyone that you would not feel comfortable sitting next to here in God’s house? My prayer is that anytime the little Pharisee that lives inside of us tries to get us to say “Yes!” to either of those questions that as disciples of Jesus we will remember both the example that Jesus set for us as well as the message that Jesus gave to us to proclaim. “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Absolutely! Why? Because “I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
To God be the glory!
Amen