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Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
(Luke 15:1-2)
Yes - glory to God! - it is true that this man, this Jesus, receiveth sinners, even the vilest and most notorious among them, because He would help them from their sins and save them. Ah, He will do more than receive them now and eat with them. He will take all their many crimson sins on Himself and pay for their blood-red guilt with His own precious, holy blood on the accursed tree of the cross and thus free them from the curse and punishment, win for them forgiveness with God, make them children of saving grace, companions of the holy angels, lovers of righteousness, heirs of everlasting life.
To the Pharisees in our text we shall say: Your sneering remarks have become the glorious song of adoring saints in heaven, the grateful hymn of all penitent and pardoned sinners on earth. Your sinful pride keeps you from repenting of your sins. But know, except you repent as do these publicans and sinners, except you come to Jesus and hear from Him the saving Gospel of God's mercy and forgiveness for His sake, you will all perish miserably and helplessly in your sins. All your boasted morality, your theoretical knowledge of Moses and the Prophets, will not save you then, it will rather increase your guilt and punishment; for the servant that knew his master's will, yet did not according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes (Luke 12:47). You knew God's will that you should repent of your sins. So many sweet Gospel promises in Moses and the Prophets exhorted you to do so. But you refused, refused even to listen to your Savior's call to repentance.
We will let the sad and terrible example of the Pharisees be a warning to us and will pray God to open our hearts that we may not hear His Word in vain or trust in our own goodness or be satisfied with our orthodox Bible knowledge, but in true repentance daily come to Jesus and make Him, the sinners' Friend, our Friend, our Savior, in life, in death, to all eternity.
I, a sinner, come to Thee
And acknowledge my transgression;
Savior, mercy show to me,
Grant for all my sins remission.
Let these words my soul relieve:
"Jesus sinners doth receive!"
Benediction
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all.
Amen.
[devotion text by Rev. F. W. Herzberger (1920) -
from the Family Altar - CPH (1957 edition)]
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