The sinners loved him ❤️
Luke 15:1-10
1 ‘Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.’
Why did they want to hear him but many people don’t want to hear us? Let’s continue.
2 ‘And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.’
The answer is in this verse, Jesus received sinners and ate with them; can we do that? There is a group of people that I work with; and before now anytime I saw an advertisement for a job with that category of people, I used to run 🏃🏽♀️ 🏃🏿♂️ away. It was like a no go area – but guess what, working with that group of people is the door the Lord opened for me; and I can say that there is a lot of love in that job. The presence of God is there, and it is amazing to see how the people I support in this job role love God in spite of their personal conditions.
Recently I had wanted to leave the job, and was seeking God about it. The Lord answered and told me in a vision to keep praying for them, which made me realise God still wanted me there. Jesus has feelings towards them. These are his group – ‘publicans and sinners’. He loves them and they love him. They are the ones with strange multiple tattoos of the cross, bibles and the rosary as well as others on their bodies. They are the ones people may think are mentally and socially awkward, but they will tell you ‘I pray every night’. They are the ones that will tell you I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit strongly here because of an encounter with a Christian.
Let’s continue reading
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]?
9 And when she hath found [it], she calleth [her] friends and [her] neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.’
But why are sinners able to go to Jesus? Because he goes where they are. In Luke 19:10 Jesus said he came to seek and to save that which was lost. He goes to where sinners are. He goes to the red light district; He goes to the drug dens; He goes to the alcoholic spots; He goes to where sinners are and He comes to where you are too. Did he not go and call Matthew? Did he not go to the woman at the well? John 4:4 -7
’And he must needs go through Samaria.
5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with [his] journey, sat thus on the well: [and] it was about the sixth hour.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.’
Did He not come to the world knowing we had missed the mark? Christ can be found and always is at where you are right now with His hands stretched to pull you from where you are. Will you put your hand in His?
Sinners were looking for Him because they knew He cared about them.
No one cared for sinners. The religious people did not care for them and accused Jesus for doing so.
Luke 7:34-35 ‘The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
But wisdom is justified of all her children.’
I remember how dramatic my salvation was. I was looking for a flight to travel out my country and remember at that time it was peak season so it was very difficult to get a ticket to travel to the country that I wanted to visit. I remember my cousin telling me to go for a prayer meeting with her and I told her I couldn’t go because I needed to go to the travel agent; but she insisted and said if the prayer meeting prolonged I could leave so I agreed to go. When I got to the meeting, I spoke to the Pastor and she told me that God had already told her he was bringing me there and that she should relay a certain message to me. What she said to me was about some dreams that I was having at the time, that I didn’t understand. It was like the woman at the well telling the people to come see a man ‘Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? ‘(John 4:29, KJV) I realised God knew everything about me. I remember looking into the sky and asking myself how God knew everything about me. I had been in church all my life but I didn’t know the Lord. This was the beginning of my new life and to the glory of God, I have been in the faith by the grace of God. I always remember this incident and think about how God loves me to have prompted my cousin to take me to the prayer meeting. I would have been in hell by now, eternally separated from God but he came to where I was and pulled me out of hell fire.
Today, you may be at a place, a spot, a location that you think you are alone at, but you are not alone. God loves you and wants you to come close like the sinners who came to listen to him teach. Come to Christ today. Read his words, give your heart to him and continue in your journey of seeking him daily and acknowledging him in everything; and your paths will surely be directed as stated in proverbs 3:5-6 ‘Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. ‘
Sinners drew near to hear Jesus, will you come also?
Let’s pray 🙏
Father thank you that you love me and care about me that you are always looking for me to bring me home. Thank you that you always send one of your servants to me to help me know you better. Please take my heart and renew a right spirit within me. Cleanse me from all my wrong choices and fill me with your Holy Spirit. This I ask in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Chara-Joy 🌸 