One day Jesus was standing around a group of people that were not exactly "church folks". They probably used language that He didn't approve of as well as participated in activities that were certainly questionable, at best. They were probably spiritual confused. They were the morally bankrupt of their community.
Off to the side was a group of religious people who were looking on in disgust. They couldn't believe that Jesus would affiliate with the first group, much less spend time in conversation with them.
There are several lessons that we can learn from this encounter. First of all, don't make the mistake of thinking that sinners automatically cleaned up their language and their lifestyles just because they came around Jesus. They probably didn't.
Secondly, Jesus knew exactly what the second group was thinking...and He didn't like it. Through three different parables in Luke 15, Jesus reminds religious people how important lost people are to Him. For those in the "holy huddle" He forcefully points out through the stories of the lost sheep, lost silver, and lost son, that lost things matter to Him.
The emphasis is clear...more than our buildings, our programs, and our vision, people matter the most to God! I have said it before, and I am guilty as charged, but I am sometimes embarrassed by how much we spend on buildings and programs to accommodate the sheep already in the fold, when Jesus clearly puts emphasis on the lost.
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