Luke 15:1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were
coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were
grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with
them." 3
So he told them this parable: 4 "Which one of you, having a hundred
sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness
and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his
shoulders and rejoices. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his
friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my
sheep that was lost.' 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy
in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons
who need no repentance.
Eugene Petersen suggests that the first few verses of this
passage could read as follows[1]:
‘The religious people were not at all pleased that Jesus was treating men and
women of doubtful reputation as old friends.’ This is the key to the nature of Jesus. Unlike
most of us, he does not treat people as “suspect until proven otherwise”. He
welcomes anyone!
This
does not mean that Jesus is blind to the faults of other people. It just means
that he is willing to welcome people – faults and all. While this offers me the
possibility of friendship with Jesus, it also challenges me when I begin to
think that there might be some who Jesus might not welcome. The essence of
being truly Christian is the capacity to offer love and friendship
indiscriminately.
Thought:
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
John Newton (1725-1807)
The Eighth Sunday after Epiphany
Protected by God
The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman
Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville,
The Upper Room 1983), 95.
This reflection is from
my own devotional exercises for the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment