In Luke 15:1-10 we find Jesus defending his keeping company with sinners. Who were those sinners? Are we not all sinners? Do Christians no longer sin as some suppose? We need to allow Luke to write in his own language and understand his cultural context rather than assume that our definitions fit the text. In Luke’s context, sinners are those who are rejected by the majority of society as undesirables. Today, some might apply that to illegal immigrants, predatory telemarketers, hawkers of get-rich-quick infomercials, marijuana dispensers, any number of disfavored ethnic or religious groups and a whole host of other possibilities. As we think of those whose political, religious, business or other choices are out of favor with the majority, is Jesus reminding us that those are exactly the kind of people he would consider to be lost sheep?
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