Proper 19, September 11, 2022

Luke 15:1-10

Rev. Neli Miranda

  

Today´s Gospel begins saying that, All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them…” This is the context where Jesus tells us three of his most beautiful parables: the found sheep, the found coin, and the parable of the loving father who welcomes his son who returns home after being lost. Today, we reflect only on the first two.

In the preceding chapters Luke tells us that Jesus shared with the Pharisees who invited him for meals. They considered Jesus a Rabbi, a teacher, and it seems they held him in high esteem and considered his teachings important. They were comfortable with Jesus until they saw the venerable Rabbi sharing with the despised tax collectors and all those considered sinners. The term sinner included a broad category of people—those who behaved in immoral ways and those whose behavior did not conform to the rigid religious norms of the time. Poverty and sickness were associated with sin, so that poor and sick people were also considered sinners. Thus, many, many people in Jesus’ time were considered sinners.

Why did the despised tax collectors and sinners draw near to Jesus to hear him?  For Jesus, sinners were the lost and those living a broken life, full of pain and suffering and needing salvation.  The Pharisees, the scribes, and other religious leaders, however, saw themselves as closer to God than others because they knew and practiced the law. Thus, they despised all those outside their circle and avoided their company.  Today, we read that they are grumbling against Jesus because he welcomes and eats with those who have been excluded. Jesus responds to the Pharisees and Scribes by sharing three parables that speak about God’s concern for the lost and the excluded who need to be found and loved. Through these parables Jesus contrasts the religious leaders’ discontent and contempt for sinners with God’s joys because the sinners are now found.

The first parable is about a shepherd who had a hundred sheep—a round number meaning completeness. However, in the parable a sheep is missing, so the flock is incomplete.  The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and goes after the lost one until he finds it. He then calls his friends and neighbors saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Jesus concludes this parable saying to the Pharisees and scribes, “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.” Jesus sarcastically criticizes these religious leaders’ self-righteousness and their practices of exclusion toward all those they labeled as sinners.

Have we ever given thought to the many labels we use in our communities to exclude those we consider sinners?  The parable of the found sheep remind us that when we exclude, God leaves us and goes after the excluded! May our community be a complete flock where no one is missing, where no one is excluded!

In the second parable, Jesus speaks about a woman who represents God’s love for the lost. This woman had ten silver coins but loses one of them. A coin like this one was equal to a day’s wages for workers and represented the family sustenance for one day. Maybe the coin was part of her dowry and represented her future security as a married woman, or perhaps it was part of her jewelry (a head band wore by women signifying their upcoming nuptials). At the heart of this parable is the fact that the coin was so precious to the woman that she turns her house upside down searching for her valuable, lost coin. When she finds it, she joyfully calls her friends and neighbors saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.”  Once again, we find that Jesus criticizes the Pharisees’ and scribes’ attitude saying that while they are grumbling because God loves the sinners, there is a joyful celebration in heaven because sinners are found and return to God, “I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Sisters and brothers, through these parables, Jesus makes it clear to us that we are all members of the same family, God’s family, and no one should be excluded. Jesus teaches us that God loves all people and has a preferential option for the lost, the excluded, the disadvantaged, and those who do not have the opportunity to learn our Christian doctrines.

Sisters and brothers, these beautiful parables comfort us and show us God’s vast,  profound love for us. These parables also challenge us to reflect on how we might sometimes justify ourselves while judging and excluding others. May we hear Jesus’ teaching today and rejoice in God’s immensurable love for all humanity. Amen.