Untitled Sermon (29)

I have given God a million reasons not to love me . None of them changed his mind.

Luke 15:1–8 KJV 1900

1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. 8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

Publican-

TAX COLLECTOR — an agent or contract worker who collected taxes for the government during Bible times. The Greek word translated “tax collector” (tax gatherer, NASB) is incorrectly rendered “publican” by the KJV. Publicans were wealthy men, usually non-Jewish, who contracted with the Roman government to be responsible for the taxes of a particular district of the imperial Roman state. These publicans would often be backed by military force.

By contrast, the tax collectors to which the New Testament refers (with the possible exception of Zacchaeus) were employed by publicans to do the actual collecting of monies in the restricted areas where they lived. These men were Jews, usually not very wealthy, who could be seen in the Temple (). They were probably familiar to the people from whom they collected taxes.

These tax collectors gathered several different types of taxes. Rome levied upon the Jews a land tax, a poll tax, even a tax for the operation of the Temple. The distinctions between the kind of rule a given province received dictated the kinds of taxes its people had to pay. For example, since some provinces, like Galilee, were not under an imperial governor, taxes remained in the province rather than going to the imperial treasury at Rome. These differences within the taxation system prompted the Pharisees in Judea (an imperial province) to ask Jesus, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” ().

As a class, the tax collectors were despised by their fellow Jews. They were classified generally as “sinners” (; ), probably because they were allowed to gather more than the government required and then to pocket the excess amount. John the Baptist addressed this when he urged tax collectors to gather no more money than they should (). But even further, the tax collectors were hated because their fellow countrymen viewed them as mercenaries who worked for a foreign oppressor of the Jewish people.

Jesus, however, set a new precedent among the Jews by accepting and associating with the tax collectors. He ate with them (), He bestowed His saving grace upon them (), and He even chose a tax collector (Matthew) as one of His twelve disciples (). The message of Jesus was that God would welcome the repentant and humble tax collector, while He would spurn the arrogant Pharisee (). His mission was to bring sinners—people like the tax collectors of His day—into God’s presence ().

Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., & Harrison, R. K., Thomas Nelson Publishers (Eds.). (1995). In Nelson’s new illustrated Bible dictionary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary Sinner

SINNER — any person who sins. Because sin is natural to people, every person sins and must be considered a sinner (Rom. 3:23).

Many times in the Bible, the word “sinner” is contrasted with the term “righteous.” God told Noah he was righteous (Gen. 7:1), but, by definition, Noah was also a sinner. Although Noah did fall into sin (Gen. 9:21), his attitude toward God and what is right made him a “righteous” man (Gen. 6:9).

Jesus also contrasted “sinner” with “righteous.” He said, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Mark 2:17). In this verse the term “sinner” refers to those who consciously make a lifestyle of sin, rather than the righteous who occasionally fall into sin. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that sin lies within people’s attitudes rather than their actions (Matt. 5:21–30). Thus, those with sinful attitudes have separated themselves from God, while those with righteous attitudes and trust in Christ have united with God.

Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary Sheep

By nature, sheep are helpless creatures. They depend on shepherds to lead them to water and pasture, to fight off wild beasts, and to anoint their faces with oil when a snake nips them from the grass. Sheep are social animals that gather in flocks, but they tend to wander off and fall into a crevice or get caught in a thorn bush. Then the shepherd must leave the rest of his flock to search for the stray. Jesus used this familiar picture when He described a shepherd who left 99 sheep in the fold to search for one that had wandered off. The God of Israel revealed His nurturing nature by speaking of himself as a shepherd (Psalm 23). Jesus also described Himself as the Good Shepherd who takes care of His sheep (John 10:1–18).

A unique relationship existed between shepherd and sheep. He knew them by name, and they in turn recognized his voice. Sheep were models of submissiveness. Because he demonstrated purity and trustful obedience to the Father, Jesus was also called “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36).

Submissive- To yield oneself to the authority or will of another