Reflection
When I was growing up and attending parochial school, I often saw Images depicting the parable in today’s gospel. The image of a shepherd rescuing a single stray lamb was shown in many pieces of art. The implication was that nobody, no matter how lost, was beyond God‘s love. But one aspect of this Gospel story is often passed over. That is, what led the Pharisees and scribes to decry what Jesus was doing. Their reason is stated plainly: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Jesus breaks the social and religious norms of His time, welcoming and showing hospitality to those his community deemed outsiders.
He is expected to publicly shame them. The Pharisees and scribes expected any prophet worth his salt to join them in publicly shaming and distancing themselves from “sinners.” But here Jesus was not only allowing these people to come into His presence, but to sit at the table with Him, breaking bread and sharing hospitality. The implication was that by eating with them He was showing His approval of their way of life. But according to the Gospels, all He did was eat and drink with them and share His teachings.
It’s not unusual for religious groups to clearly define who is in and who is out of their inner circles. But Jesus came with a new message: nobody is outside the circle of God‘s love. In fact, there is no “circle” of God‘s love. There is only the bright, brilliant center spreading outward to everyone who comes near.
Over and over again, Jesus is accused of consorting with the wrong people. But He continually reminds us that all are welcome.
Today there is no shortage of voices advising us on who we ought to spend time with and who we should avoid. According to Jesus, that distinction doesn’t exist. We are to share God‘s love with everyone we meet, anyone we are brought into association with. Yes, we are to resist sin and keep ourselves from sinfulness, but turning away guests that others deem “sinful” to avoid the appearance of impropriety is not something Jesus taught. He taught the way of showing welcoming hospitality to all.
