Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Luke 15:1-2
The self-righteous religious people of Jesus’ day didn’t like the kinds of people who came to hear Jesus teach. What exactly got their panties all in a bunch? What was the big scandal? The crowds who followed Jesus were composed of... (gasp!)... sinners! That’s right.... your read it correctly... the people who were responding to the compelling messages of the man claiming to the the Messiah were normal, everyday, run-of-the-mill sinners who were not interested in playing the hypocritical games of the self-righteous religious elite. They were turned off by man-made religious rules. They flocked to Jesus.
And to add to the scandal of these crowds, Jesus willingly welcomed them, ate with them, enjoyed life with them, and ministered among them freely. He had become the friend of tax collectors and sinners. This made Jesus suspect to the scribes and Pharisees because He did not cultivate their version of a proper ministry portfolio.
Jesus is still the most attractive option for those of us who know we are sinners. I know this because I certainly am one. I sin in more ways than I can know every day both in my thoughts and in my actions. I need Jesus to receive my prayers for forgiveness and to love me. I don’t need self-righteous finger-pointing because I generally feel bad about my sin already. Jesus bore my guilt and punishment so I can be freed from sin to follow Him. He helps bear the load of my difficulties that are part of the consequences of my sin. I’ll flock to Him with the crowd of fellow sinners and find peace, joy, and purpose. Nothing else in the world offers this, and certainly legalistic religion fails to supply it! It only adds to my pain. Jesus receives sinners and loves them! Amen!
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