Third Sunday after Trinity

Luke 15:1-10 The Pharisees often grumbled against Christ because He did not hold to their ordinances 1, because He healed on the Sabbath2, and allowed His disciples to pluck and to eat ears of corn.3 We even hear in our Gospel today how they grumbled against His saving love. But Christ answers against them. Christ's Response Against the Grumbling of the Pharisees; We consider 1. The grumbling of the Pharisees, a. at what they took offense; namely the fact that Christ accepted all sorts of publicans and sinners, also people that were stained with gross sins; according to the Pharisees' opinion He would have to reject them.4 b. how their grumbling was unjustified: those people would not even remain in their sinful life, but could be called by Christ to repent; "they came that they may hear Him". Nevertheless the Pharisees said, grumbling: this man receives etc.5; 2. Christ's response against it, He bears witness to the Pharisees, a. that He seeks with good reason the lost sinner; because . they are His possession6 that He Himself has bought with His suffering and death, . they must die if He does not look after them7, b. that He takes an interest in the salvation of sinners as the merciful, faithful Savior8 and proves it rightly with great diligence9, c. that He is not ashamed of the company of poor sinners, but rejoice when they hear His call for repentance10 d. that they, if they were so inclined, instead of grumbling, would and must rejoice rather with Him when the formerly lost sheep, deeply sunken publicans and sinners, are recovered11,
1 2

Mark 7:2-3. Matthew 12:10-14. 3 Matthew 12:2ff. 4 Luke 15:1-2. 5 Luke 15:2. 6 Luke 15:4, 8. 7 Luke 15:4. 8 Luke 15:4. 9 Luke 15:8. 10 Luke 15:5. 11 Luke 15:6, 9.

e. that in heaven there is joy over one sinner who repents12; therefore He could never be accused that He accepted the contrite tax collectors and sinners and ate with them; rather He clearly proved their grumblings about themselves than about people that considered themselves highly superior over publicans and sinners, whose repentance they despised, and themselves thought they did not need to repent, there is no joy in heaven.13 Chr. K.

12 13

Luke 15:7, 10. Luke 15:7., cf. Luke 18:14, "before the other".