The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus addressed this parable to them. (Lk 15:1-10)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110724.cfm
Sometimes context gives us a fuller understanding of a passage. Three of the greatest parables follow this complaint against Jesus: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” The Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Child (or the Prodigal Son) are far more radical than we ever imagined. Instead of “our search for God”, these parables of Jesus turn that spiritual canard upside down. It is God who comes searching for us and doesn’t give up until we are safely found and then throws a party to rejoice.
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Thursday, Week XXXI, Ordinary Time
