Why would Jesus spend time with sinners, outcasts and tax collectors?

Why Jesus would want to spend his time with a sinner.

The answer is Jesus loves unconditionally.

Tax collectors and sinners – willing to listen – open to repentance and discipleship

 

 

*** 1st Reading ***    

Philippians 3:3-8a

We are the true circumcised people,

Since we serve according to the Spirit of God, and our confidence is in Christ Jesus, rather than in our merits.

I myself do not lack those human qualities in which people have confidence. If some of them seem to be accredited with such qualities, how much more am I! I was circumcised when eight days old. I was born of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; I am a Hebrew, born of Hebrews. With regard to the law, I am a Pharisee, and such was my zeal for the law that I persecuted the Church. As for being righteous according to the law, I was blameless.

 

But once I found Christ, all those things that I might have considered as profit, I reckoned as loss. Still more, everything seems to me as nothing compared with the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord.

 

Ps 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.

 

*** Gospel ***      

Luke 15:1-10

Meanwhile tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what he had to say. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law frowned at this, muttering, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So Jesus told them this parable:

 

"Who among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and seek the lost one till he finds it? And finding it, will he not joyfully carry it home on his shoulders? Then he will call his friends and neighbors together, and say, 'Celebrate with me, for I have found my lost sheep! I tell you, in the same way, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner, than over ninety-nine decent people, who do not need to repent.

 

What woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one, will not light a lamp, and sweep the house in a thorough search, till she finds the lost coin? And finding it, she will call her friends and neighbors, and say, 'Celebrate with me, for I have found the silver coin I lost!' I tell you, in the same way, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner."

 

Gospel Reflection :

"God values everyone."

Once we learn to carry our own cross, we might also be able to help others carry their own crosses. We are called to be the disciples of Jesus for others. In other words, if we feel that we are already found by Jesus, it is now part of our sacred duty to help find the lost. Luke 15 contains the known Lucan parabolic trilogy: the lost sheep (vv. 1-7), the lost coin (vv. 8-10) and the lost son (vv. 11-32).

 

Today's Gospel covers the first two parables, Jesus told these two parables to accentuate the heaven's rejoicing over one repentant sinner represented by the lost sheep and lost coin. These two parables teach us the lesson that with God, no one is dispensable. Every single person is important to the Lord. Hence, he would always be looking for the lost one.

 

And when the lost is found, he would rejoice greatly. This clearly indicates that God values everyone. As Jesus' disciples, do we take time to reach out to those who are considered to be lost? Often, we need not go out. We only need to talk to the members of our family who are being isolated for whatever reason.