Preached to the saints at Trinity Lutheran Church of Layton, Utah.
Dearly beloved of God,
Isn't it a truly great and marvelous thing for you and me that this Man named Jesus receives sinners? To hear more about this miraculous work of our Lord as it was preached to the sinners and saints at Trinity, Layton this past Sunday, click on the MP3 audio link above.
Thanks be to God He always has room for one more of us.
Your fellow forgiven sinner,
Pastor Hering
Here is the preaching manuscript.
TEXT: 1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear [Jesus]. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
3So he told them this parable: 4"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' 7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
8"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:1-10
Dear Sinners,
I have great news for you this morning! Jesus receives you and eats with you. The Pharisees and scribes never spoke truer words, much to their dismay and judgment, than the words they grumbled according to Luke's Gospel we have set before us to feast upon today. "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
Like last Sunday's Gospel lesson, our Gospel today is really just that simple. "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
Can there be any greater news? And yet the religious leaders grumbled.
So Jesus tells them a story--a trilogy really—the two parables of our Gospel today, along with the parable of the Prodigal Son and His loving Father that concludes the 15th chapter of Luke.
The two stories we have before us today are often thought of and used as "evangelism" texts. And that they are, if we understand evangelism correctly. Evangelism is not just for those people out there--the pagan tribes of New Guinea, the unchurched folk of our communities, the drug addicts of inner city ghettos. Evangelism is for every sinner, every man, woman, and child alike until our Lord comes again on the Last Day. Evangelism is the proclamation of the good news that "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
So, what about you? Are you a sinner? Of course you are. Of course I am. With Paul each of us is chief of all sinners. In other words, nobody else's sin hurts you or separates you from God and keeps you out of the kingdom of heaven. It is YOUR sin that is your worst nightmare, not Osama bin Laden's terrorism; not those crooked, self-serving politicians in Washington of either major national party; not your cheap, task master boss or teacher or disrespectful slacker employee or student; not that nosy, gossipy neighbor; not your ungrateful husband, wife, son, or daughter; not your mean old dad or mom. Oh, they are sinners to be sure, but they are not your problem you and your sin are your problem.
And Jesus came to save you from YOUR sin. "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
Does this mean that Jesus tolerates your sin, even joins you in your sin? Certainly not!
This is how the Pharisees and scribes saw it, and why they grumbled, very much like Jonah grumbled because God chose to look with favor upon the wicked and violent people of Ninevah who were nothing but trouble for God's chosen people descended from Abraham—like the Pharisees and scribes.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
He calls sinners to repentance, strips each sinner of his own self-righteousness and brings them in repentance to dine with Him at His Table alongside other repentant, sinners at a most heavenly feast of His body and blood for forgiveness, life and salvation.
So there's no need to grumble! There is always room at the table for one more sinner. God the Father is always ready to welcome one more stubborn Pharisee who has finally admitted to being among the lost..
Today is Father's Day. All across America today, thousands of dads are going to be opening up little boxes, about this big [hold hands apart about six inches]. You know what they are going to find? GPS units. Moms from coast to coast have picked up Tom Toms and Magellans and Garmins for the kids to wrap and give to Daddy on his special day—because as everybody knows, men just hate to ask for directions.
The Pharisees were no different. But you know what? Everyone since Adam and Eve has the same problem when it comes to heaven. We all would rather get there ourselves, traveling our own chosen roads, figuring we know exactly where we are and we'll get where we want to go eventually.
Such is the highway to hell. And there are many travelers making it seem as though one is not lost at all.
Dear sinners, don't ever forget that apart from Holy Baptism, apart from hearing the Word of God that forgives you, apart from the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ, you too are among the lost. Each and every one of us is in the same predicament as the Pharisees if we insist we don't need the things that are only for those sinners.
There is no alternate route to heaven. It really is just that simple. "This man receives sinners and eats with them." -and only sinners, for if He didn't eat with sinners our Lord would be dining alone.
Oh yes, you and I are the worst of all sinners. But as Jesus is telling the Pharisees and scribes so that they too might see themselves as the worst instead of the best--so that they too might desire to be received by this man and eat with Him in the kingdom of heaven--Jesus wants you and all people to know and believe and rejoice that He, the very Son of God, came for the worst to receive you and eat with you.
What is more, even became the worst—for you! [Take them to the Cross.]
Now that's evangelism. That's the good news, the great news, the best news you can ever hear. "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
And that is what is going on here today. The "joy in heaven over one sinner who repents," the " joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents," the feast of the fatted calve prepared by the Prodigal's loving Father, that is what the Divine Service is all about. With angels and arch angels and all the company of heave, we laud and magnify the glorious name of God who is "This man [who] receives sinners and eats with them." --in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Please rise.
The peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen
Insofar as this sermon is a true proclamation of the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ, it belongs to Him and His Church. Therefore its use is free to all who deem it worthy and beneficial.
Send Rev. Kurt Hering an email.
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