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One of the titles most quoted by Jesus’s detractors was that he was a “friend of sinners”. It’s a title he wore with pride. Don’t you wish all of Jesus followers were known as “friends of sinners”? On one occasion Jesus addresses their accusations. His response was to tell three stories about three lost things; a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. These three stories all have one thing in common. In each something of value is lost. And that is the norm in our world. Things get lost. People we love get lost. How many people have we known that were adorable as children only to grow up to be surly and bizarre as adults? How many friends have you known that all of a sudden changed for the worse and whose actions you could have never anticipated? How many times have you heard someone say of an old friend, “I don’t even know who they are anymore”? People get lost. But Jesus reminds us in these stories that lost things that are precious to us should be searched for. People expend a lot of energy looking for lost jewelry or posting signs for lost pets. Why should we spend any less energy looking for lost people? When I was a child I grew up in the country of Colombia because my dad was an international businessman. My grandparents visited us every year and on one of their yearly visits, they decided to tour the Incan civilization in Peru. My mother and I were invited to go with them. Mom had to get her Colombian visa renewed before she left for Peru. On our return to Colombia it was discovered that her renewed visa had expired the same day it was issued. It was an obvious mistake. But the officials in Colombia were not going to let her into the country on an expired visa. My grandparents and I had already passed through immigration and could see Mom on the other side of the partition arguing with the officials. When I realized what was happening and that my mother was about to be lost in “immigrations no man’s land” I went berserk! I threw one of the great historical fits of all time. The intensity of my fit was so great that it rattled the immigration officials and they allowed my mother into the country. That was probably the one time in my life where my “emotional outburst” was rewarded rather than corrected. Why? I was expending energy to help someone I loved who was lost. So what does our apathy about lost people say about our hearts? The opposite of love is indifference. Jesus is reminding us that he is a friend of sinners because he is not indifferent to people who are lost!! The stories all end with huge celebrations when what was lost is found. One writer I read said that the church ought to be known for its parties. Maybe it will be, when we fall in love with the lost and begin to pursue them.
