Untitled Sermon (2)

Jesus Hangs With The Wrong Crowd

There is an old Jewish proverb that says, “When the character of a person is not clear, look at the company they keep.”

Another way of saying this: “birds of a feather, flock together” or “your vibe attracts your tribe.”

Every day on the job as the Public Relations manager for Jesus would have been part comedy and part nightmare. The man was born without a political bone in his body/

For starters he had poor taste in friends.

Case in point the Jews hated the money hungry, backstabbing tax collectorsbut Jesus marches right up to one of them and says, “Come follow me.”

Imagine if Zacchaeus posted on Jerusalem’s Facebook a selfie with Jesus.

He welcomed a zealot into his inner circle, even though Rome would have seen him as a domestic terrorist.

He rubbed shoulders with women in the sex trade, Samaritan half-breeds, filthy lepers, and many more misfits.

If you hang out with dogs, you’re going to get fleas, then one would assume Jesus must have been crawling with them!

In the eyes of the religious leaders Jesus ruined his reputation by hanging out with the wrong people.

Over the next few weeks, we identify some of the misfits that Jesus chose to spend time with.

This morning we will look at Luke 15.

This passage of Luke begins with the opposition of the Pharisees, just like the previous section.

Luke 14:1

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.

Luke 15:1

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.

Here the Pharisees grumbled about Jesus consorting with "sinners," as they had done before.

This is not a new problem but a requiring one.

Luke 7:39

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

Luke 5:30

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

Back to our text:

Luke 15:1

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.

QUESTION: What If Any Difference Is There Between A Tax Collect And Sinners?

TAX COLLECTORS

In those days tax collectors were social and spiritual outcasts. Because they were part of the Roman bureaucracy, and because they collected money from fellow Israelites, they were considered traitors to the people of God.

SINNERS

The word “sinners” was a catchall for people who had a notorious reputation for bad behavior—thieves, drunkards, prostitutes, and anyone else who refused to conform to the holy habits of the religious community.

In the eyes of religious leaders everyone but them fit into this category.

Sinners and the tax collectors were people who almost never went to worship and never seemed to have any interest in following God.

2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Jesus did not associate with these people because he was one of them but because they needed him, like sick people need a doctor.

Verse 1-2 is the reason that Jesus tells the following three parables.

Jesus uses the next three parables to reason and rebuke these religious leaders.

1st Let’s Reason Together

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

2nd Lets Reason Together

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

3 Let’s Reason Together

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Rebuke…

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”