#1175. Jesus, friend of sinners (28/10/24)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional as we continue in our Luke, Exploring Who Jesus is series. Today, from Luke 15:1-2, we reflect on how Jesus attracted people to Himself as the ‘friend of sinners’.

Luke 15:1–2

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‘Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”’ (Luke 15:1-2)

Luke 15:1–2

From the gospels, you quickly see that people liked to be around Jesus. Various sorts of people, including ‘sinners’, were often crowding around Him. Added to this, religious and judgmental people also gathered around Him in order to keep an eye on Him and judge Him for the way that He interacted with ‘sinners’. Why were ‘tax collectors and sinners’ - the socially unacceptable - attracted to Jesus?

i. Love and hope is attractive

Firstly, I believe that people know if you genuinely want to help them - and Jesus wanted to help them. Jesus did not judge them as beyond help. He saw them as, yes, sinners, but He loved and had hope for them. If we want to attract people to Jesus, we must have faith and hope that God can move in the lives of such people and we must want Him to do so.

ii. Giving time is attractive

Secondly, He made time for ‘sinners’. People crowded around Him because He was out and among them. Yes, He made time to be with His disciples to teach them; yes, He made time to be alone and pray; however, He also made time to be with the sorts of People who need to hear of God’s love.

iii. The right use of words is attractive

Thirdly, we could say more but, lastly, I’ll say that crowds of normal people were attracted to Jesus because He spoke in ways that they understood and ways that honoured them. As the rest of this chapter will show, Jesus uses analogies like a lost sheep, lost coin and lost son. These are vivid and everyday images that were engaging. They were also stories that spoke of lostness whilst also giving hope and honour to those who were lost.

Jesus was attractive to people. Crowds of those who hated and loved Him gathered around Him. Like Him, may we be filled with love and hope for people; may we give time to people; may we use words in ways that are genuinely useful for those who are listening, and so help to attract people to Jesus.

Let’s Pray together

“Lord Jesus, I see that you welcomed people who, like me, were lost. You attracted them through your love, hope and words that served their needs. Help me to communicate in my words and behaviour that I want sinners to be brought home, and that I believe that they can be brought home to You. Amen.”