“Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.” Luke 15:1
The entire Chapter of Luke 15 is made up of 3 Parables; the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son (also known as The Prodigal Son). If you remember from a previous Chapter, and in the other Gospels, when Jesus called Matthew to follow him, he held a feast in His honor. We’re told “that the Scribes and Pharisees began grumbling “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?”” Jesus replied “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance”. He basically does the same thing here, but He does it with the 3 Parables.
Notice several things: All 3 have something Lost, something Safe, something Found, and someone Rejoicing. Only the Prodigal Son has someone, Not Rejoicing. Though they all emphasize the “Found”, and that is truly the Major point of the Parable, in the Lost Son we see a character who refuses to rejoice, who turns out to be the Scribes and Pharisees. So in summary, Jesus teaches us “why” He came and “who” He came for, and also rebukes those that see themselves as Righteous and not needing a Savior. Essentially, we see the Gospel presented to the World, with the Lost responding and being Saved, and the World rejecting it and being Lost.
There are Lessons to be learned here from both perspectives. If you are a Christian, you are the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son. You Did Not seek Christ, He Sought You!!! If you are not a Christian, and see yourself as a Hell Deserving Sinner, Jesus CAME for you!!! Repent of your Sin and reach out to Him; He Will Save You! If you feel this Post and this Story is a waste of time, for whatever reason, YOU are like the Scribes and Pharisees who felt they did not need saving. You will find out One Day just how wrong you are. May God have mercy on you and open your eyes to see just how much you need Him!