Thanksgiving and Reflection

A couple of days ago I felt like reading from the Gospel of Luke.  Here are the two verses that captured my attention - Luke 15:1-2 NIV:

[1] "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. [2] But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

I love that these verses, especially verse 1, are recorded in Scripture.  In these, and many other stories, we find a good example of Jesus' heart, as the Father's representative, towards sinners.  I can imagine what the church would be like if these verses were not included. I think that it is possible to forget that Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and we can also forget that we are called to continue His ministry.  If sinners hung out with Jesus and felt comfortable in His presence, even welcomed, can we say the same about our lives, and our churches?

That is actually a really interesting question.  We, who are saved, tend to classify ourselves as saints (small s), those that have experienced Jesus salvation and are following Him.  Our lives should be marked by our desire to follow him, and hopefully we are sinning less than before.  In church we probably hang around people who are similar to us, and we try to make a positive impact on our world.  Sometimes we can forget where we came from and what we were like previously, and take on a judgmental attitude towards those who have not yet welcomed the Lord into their lives.  However, no matter our state of holiness, in reality we are all still sinners who have been redeemed!  Some questions to consider in light of Jesus' example here in Luke:

Do we classify ourselves as better then others in our church, or in our neighborhood, because our sins are not as visible?
Do we have a list of bad sins and a list of not so bad sins? Do we feel good about ourselves because we don't do any of the "bad" sins?
Do we judge people by their sin, and even identify them by their sin, as we see the Pharisees and teachers of the Law doing here?
Do we even have anything interesting to say to "sinners"?
Do we even relate to people outside the fellowship of believers?
Do we remember our lives before Christ?
Do we take the forgiveness of our sins for granted?
Do we have an us and them attitude towards those inside vs. outside the church?

As I re-read these verses today, I was thinking that on Thanksgiving we gather around family and friends and possibly some of them may not know the Lord, or maybe have fallen away.  What a great opportunity we have to love them and let them know how significant they are to us!  I believe that each and every one of us is significant to the Lord, and greatly loved by Him.  Let us endeavor to represent Him today to all those who would be classified as "sinners".  Let us be thankful that we have experienced His love and forgiveness and extend the same to those around us!  Let us cultivate a grateful heart for all the mercy and grace we have received from the Lord!

I am reminded of a very interesting story Jesus told in Luke 18:9-14 NIV:

[9] "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: [10] “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people---robbers, evildoers, adulterers---or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

[13] “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

[14] “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Let us remember our lives, and be thankful and grateful rather than prideful. God in His mercy has called us, forgiven us and made us His sons and daughters! The exact same mercy, forgiveness and invitation to relationship is available to us all!  Let us be thankful that we have heard His voice, and responded.