Jesus Teaches Tax Collectors and SinnersBible World
15:1Luke 15:1
Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
All the tax collectors and outcasts, even those outside the nation who never came to the synagogues, gathered close around him to hear him with rapt attention and gladness, while the scribes and Pharisees murmured that he received sinners and ate with them. In answer he spoke of the shepherd seeking the one lost sheep until he finds it, the woman seeking the lost coin, and the prodigal son, to teach mercy and joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. They were drawn to him because in his presence even they felt escape from sin was possible, for he greeted them as children estranged from the Father's house but not forgotten by the Father's heart, whose misery only made them more the objects of his compassion. His mission was to seek and save the lost rather than to condemn and destroy, welcoming the despised and outcast who felt themselves lost and undone, but giving no countenance to those who counted themselves just and felt no need of repentance. His welcome rebukes self-righteous contempt and teaches that his followers must actively seek those who have strayed rather than waiting for them to return.
Setting and Response
All the tax collectors and sinners drew near to listen, gathering close around him to hear him with rapt attention, living interest, and gladness. They were publicans and social outcasts, even those outside the Jewish nation, who despised the rabbis and never came to the synagogues, yet now flocked to him. They came because they needed all the compassion and tenderness that could be given, and their coming exposed the neglect of unfaithful shepherds who left the lost without help.
At the same time the scribes and Pharisees were displeased, murmured, and accused him of receiving sinners and eating with them. They insinuated that he liked vile company and was insensible to wickedness, faulting him although he came to seek and save the lost. Their resentment contrasted with the sinners' desire to listen, revealing hard-hearted self-conceit while praising themselves for supposed piety and holding aloof from those needing help.
In answer he spoke the parables of the chapter, teaching mercy, forgiveness, and joy in heaven in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents more than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance. He told of a man with a hundred sheep who leaves the ninety and nine in the wilderness to seek the one lost until he finds it, lays it on his shoulders rejoicing, and calls friends and neighbors to rejoice with him because his lost sheep is found. He told of a woman who lights a candle and seeks diligently for one lost piece of silver until she finds it and rejoices with friends, and of the prodigal son. These parables were spoken because the leaders complained that he associated with sinners and publicans, and they set forth his work of seeking the lost until found.
Christ's Seeking Love
The publicans and sinners drew near to hear because they needed all the compassion and tenderness that could be given, and in His presence they felt that escape from the pit of sin was possible even for them. He greeted them as children of God estranged from the Father's house but not forgotten by the Father's heart, and their misery and sin made them only more the objects of His compassion. The farther they had wandered, the more earnest was His longing and the greater His sacrifice for their rescue.
He did not mingle with the leaders and follow their teaching methods, but worked unpretendingly among all classes of people, drawing even those outside the Jewish nation who had never shown interest in Pharisaic teaching. He met people where they were — at guest tables, in streets, by lakesides, in synagogues and the temple, and on travel routes — and He ate with them so that light could shine upon them. With every word He sowed seeds of truth in their hearts.
His mission to the world was to seek and save the lost, not to make miserable, not to condemn and destroy, but to recover what was lost. He did not exclude Himself from sinful people because they were the very ones who needed a Saviour, feeling themselves lost and undone. That receiving of sinners came not from delight in wickedness but from God's love in giving His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). He welcomed the despised and outcast, but He would not countenance those who stood apart in self-esteem, felt they had need of nothing, counted themselves just, felt no need of repentance, and looked down on others.
Their coming exposed the hard-hearted attitude, neglect, self-conceit, disappointment, resentment, and hatred of the scribes, Pharisees, and leaders, who as unfaithful shepherds left the lost without help while praising themselves for supposed piety and holding aloof from those who needed help. He gave them no flattering words to nourish their pride and did not approve their works, for His mission and work did not harmonize with them. Instead of accepting their criticism for receiving sinners and eating with them, He laid rebuke upon them and made these lost ones His special work rather than those who thought themselves safe.
Call to Seek the Lost
Christ's welcome of publicans and sinners who drew near to hear Him rebukes self-righteous contempt and teaches that the church must actively go after members who have strayed instead of waiting for them to return, finding joy in their recovery. The parable of the lost sheep given in this setting was meant to rebuke that contemptuous spirit and to give a lesson for all, with its teachings to be brought into daily life, though few understand it and few have learned it. Failure to seek the lost in this way leaves guilt upon the church, which must see and acknowledge the wrong and humble its heart before God. Such humbling opens the door to bring a particular wandering one, such as George Lay, into the fold.
If a lost sheep is valuable enough to be searched for until it is found, a soul straying from God is worth far more, so that even that despised class could not say that no one cared for their souls. The truth sown in those who then heard Him sprang up afterward, for the parable was a gentle rebuke and symbol intended to bring hard-hearted scribes and Pharisees who faulted Him for receiving sinners and eating with them to conviction concerning His mission to seek and save the lost. After His resurrection and ascension those convicted would receive the Holy Spirit and join the disciples in the church, sharing their goods to support poor believers and showing compassion for the needy and helpless. The seeds sown in publicans and sinners who admitted they were sinners sprang up through the apostles' teaching, when five thousand believers were converted in one day.
He saw the publicans as people He could help, although their work exposed them to temptation and could lead from an initial wrong step to greater dishonesty and crime. His association with them in eating with them to let light shine upon them gave Him opportunity to teach them, including through the parable of the unfaithful steward.
All the tax collectors and outcasts, even those outside the nation who never came to the synagogues, gathered close around him to hear him with rapt attention and gladness, while the scribes and Pharisees murmured that he received sinners and ate with them. In answer he spoke of the shepherd seeking the one lost sheep until he finds it, the woman seeking the lost coin, and the prodigal son, to teach mercy and joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. They were drawn to him because in his presence even they felt escape from sin was possible, for he greeted them as children estranged from the Father's house but not forgotten by the Father's heart, whose misery only made them more the objects of his compassion. His mission was to seek and save the lost rather than to condemn and destroy, welcoming the despised and outcast who felt themselves lost and undone, but giving no countenance to those who counted themselves just and felt no need of repentance. His welcome rebukes self-righteous contempt and teaches that his followers must actively seek those who have strayed rather than waiting for them to return.
Setting and Response
All the tax collectors and sinners drew near to listen, gathering close around him to hear him with rapt attention, living interest, and gladness. They were publicans and social outcasts, even those outside the Jewish nation, who despised the rabbis and never came to the synagogues, yet now flocked to him. They came because they needed all the compassion and tenderness that could be given, and their coming exposed the neglect of unfaithful shepherds who left the lost without help.
At the same time the scribes and Pharisees were displeased, murmured, and accused him of receiving sinners and eating with them. They insinuated that he liked vile company and was insensible to wickedness, faulting him although he came to seek and save the lost. Their resentment contrasted with the sinners' desire to listen, revealing hard-hearted self-conceit while praising themselves for supposed piety and holding aloof from those needing help.
In answer he spoke the parables of the chapter, teaching mercy, forgiveness, and joy in heaven in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents more than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance. He told of a man with a hundred sheep who leaves the ninety and nine in the wilderness to seek the one lost until he finds it, lays it on his shoulders rejoicing, and calls friends and neighbors to rejoice with him because his lost sheep is found. He told of a woman who lights a candle and seeks diligently for one lost piece of silver until she finds it and rejoices with friends, and of the prodigal son. These parables were spoken because the leaders complained that he associated with sinners and publicans, and they set forth his work of seeking the lost until found.
Christ's Seeking Love
The publicans and sinners drew near to hear because they needed all the compassion and tenderness that could be given, and in His presence they felt that escape from the pit of sin was possible even for them. He greeted them as children of God estranged from the Father's house but not forgotten by the Father's heart, and their misery and sin made them only more the objects of His compassion. The farther they had wandered, the more earnest was His longing and the greater His sacrifice for their rescue.
He did not mingle with the leaders and follow their teaching methods, but worked unpretendingly among all classes of people, drawing even those outside the Jewish nation who had never shown interest in Pharisaic teaching. He met people where they were — at guest tables, in streets, by lakesides, in synagogues and the temple, and on travel routes — and He ate with them so that light could shine upon them. With every word He sowed seeds of truth in their hearts.
His mission to the world was to seek and save the lost, not to make miserable, not to condemn and destroy, but to recover what was lost. He did not exclude Himself from sinful people because they were the very ones who needed a Saviour, feeling themselves lost and undone. That receiving of sinners came not from delight in wickedness but from God's love in giving His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). He welcomed the despised and outcast, but He would not countenance those who stood apart in self-esteem, felt they had need of nothing, counted themselves just, felt no need of repentance, and looked down on others.
Their coming exposed the hard-hearted attitude, neglect, self-conceit, disappointment, resentment, and hatred of the scribes, Pharisees, and leaders, who as unfaithful shepherds left the lost without help while praising themselves for supposed piety and holding aloof from those who needed help. He gave them no flattering words to nourish their pride and did not approve their works, for His mission and work did not harmonize with them. Instead of accepting their criticism for receiving sinners and eating with them, He laid rebuke upon them and made these lost ones His special work rather than those who thought themselves safe.
Call to Seek the Lost
Christ's welcome of publicans and sinners who drew near to hear Him rebukes self-righteous contempt and teaches that the church must actively go after members who have strayed instead of waiting for them to return, finding joy in their recovery. The parable of the lost sheep given in this setting was meant to rebuke that contemptuous spirit and to give a lesson for all, with its teachings to be brought into daily life, though few understand it and few have learned it. Failure to seek the lost in this way leaves guilt upon the church, which must see and acknowledge the wrong and humble its heart before God. Such humbling opens the door to bring a particular wandering one, such as George Lay, into the fold.
If a lost sheep is valuable enough to be searched for until it is found, a soul straying from God is worth far more, so that even that despised class could not say that no one cared for their souls. The truth sown in those who then heard Him sprang up afterward, for the parable was a gentle rebuke and symbol intended to bring hard-hearted scribes and Pharisees who faulted Him for receiving sinners and eating with them to conviction concerning His mission to seek and save the lost. After His resurrection and ascension those convicted would receive the Holy Spirit and join the disciples in the church, sharing their goods to support poor believers and showing compassion for the needy and helpless. The seeds sown in publicans and sinners who admitted they were sinners sprang up through the apostles' teaching, when five thousand believers were converted in one day.
He saw the publicans as people He could help, although their work exposed them to temptation and could lead from an initial wrong step to greater dishonesty and crime. His association with them in eating with them to let light shine upon them gave Him opportunity to teach them, including through the parable of the unfaithful steward.