“Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.””— Luke 15:2
In Greek, this “grumbling” in verse two is an onomatopoetic word that sounds like what was happening. The word itself sounds like humming bees or doves just as the crowd of murmuring/grumbling Pharisees sounded as they discussed among themselves Jesus’ actions and words.
Jesus actively welcomed and awaited to receive with a warm arms-open welcome any sinner who wanted to go to Him then, just as He does now. He didn’t just wait to talk with sinners who came to Him. Jesus waited to invite them in with Him and to break bread with Him. These sinners became His friends and, He hoped, family by their belief in Him.
In the parable of the lost sheep, the lost sheep represented the sinners who chose to enter and eat with Jesus. (Each person has sinned and Jesus desires that all be saved.) The person who thinks he/she is righteous does not avail him/herself of being welcomed by Jesus to break bread with Him. He/she thinks they don’t need Jesus because he/she is already righteous. Jesus will not force Himself on these people, like He didn’t with the Pharisees and religious leaders. Yet, those who choose to be welcomed by Jesus and break bread with Him, by which becoming family, those He will seek like the one sheep who was missing of the 100. This one sheep who was part of Jesus’ flock strayed away from Him like His followers who sin after being saved by Him. These saved souls are precious to Him and He will leave the safe 99 to rescue the one.
Jesus actively welcomes and makes a sinner part of His family—a sheep in His flock. He actively seeks, defends, heals, guides, and restores His sheep—His saved child—back into His flock. Jesus doesn’t force Himself on a sinner, but welcomes. He doesn’t let Satan steal His child away, but cherishes His child so much that He goes after that one to rescue and bring him/her back home to be with Him.
Jesus does one more thing once He rescues His child. When He returns with His sheep, He actively rejoices; He created a time of celebration and invited others to celebrate that His child who had strayed had been found. It was not an unremarkable event, but a well-known and recordable event.
Jesus was elated and desired to celebrate God’s grace—His favor and love—that sought the lost sheep and rescued it. The celebration wasn’t because the sheep had found His way home, but that Jesus rescued, healed, guarded, and carried the sheep back to His flock in His pasture.
God celebrates when each person goes to Him believing in Jesus and is saved by Him. He celebrates each time His saved child obeys Him. God celebrates each time a wandering child returns. This celebrating is God’s granting favor—His grace—of love and blessing on His child. Each of these times of celebration points to God, not humanity. They point to His goodness and love. God’s love for a person is cause to celebrate.
Today, is God celebrating what He has done in your life? Have you gone to Jesus’ open arms and been welcomed to break bread with Him as family? Have you heard God’s guiding you to do something and obeyed? Have you wandered away from God and chosen your own path that led you to be separated from Him, and caused you to be lost, afraid, and hurting?
Each of these times, God has shown or wants to bestow His favor—His grace and love—on you. Will you accept and let Him? Will you become part of His celebration today?
It’s never too late to be saved or rescued by God. You are never too far away from God to be unreachable by His love and grace. Will you let Him save and rescue you today? Will you become part of the reason He rejoices today?
(Taken from Luke 15:1-7)
