Loving the Unlovable Luke 15:1-10

Luke tells us in our gospel that people who might be considered ungodly were coming close to listen to Jesus. Luke wrote,

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. ² And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Jesus and the Pharisees didn't see eye to eye on this matter at all. The pharisees had human eyes and they saw Jesus sitting with broken imperfect people. And they wanted to know why. Didn't know who they were. Didn't Jesus know what they'd done. Jesus saw the broken most imperfect people and he wanted to bring them closer to God.

We get into trouble when we forget who are. And we get into even deeper trouble when we forget who God is. Human beings, who try to judge God and tell God what to do, are always in for a surprise. And often they are surprised by the audacity of God's love for those they consider most unlovable. Jesus told two stories about the love of God for people who aren't holy. Truth is God can do the very most with someone who believes they are too far gone for even God to help. Jesus is telling us plainly today that God has a mission and a plan and that mission and plan is to build the kingdom of God by searching out the lost.

There's a part of us that tries to protect God from the truth. But we don't need to protect God from reality. Jesus wanted people 2000 years ago to know the good news that God loves the unlovable and that he will search out and find those who wander away from him. The same is true today.