Jesus Seeks The Lost!
We know from the New Testament that Jesus spent much of his time with sinners. We see this in Matthew 9:10-17 when Jesus calls Matthew, a known tax collector, to follow Him. We see it again in Luke 7:26-50, when a sinful woman touches Jesus and anoints Him with expensive perfume. In John 4, Jesus reveals Himself as the Messiah to a Samaritan woman who has had multiple husbands and was living in sin, ostracized from her own society. And again in Luke 19:1-10, Jesus was a guest in Zacchaeus’ home.
Each of these passages where beautiful moment in history that was planned and executed with the intention to completely transform lives for the better. It wasn’t just for the person Jesus spoke to, it wasn’t just for the witnesses in the room, it was for everyone of us. It was for the generations after.
“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:10
To truly understand the depths of His actions, we must first understand the culture in which these events occurred. The Middle East is an honor-shame culture, meaning one’s identity and value are tied to their impact in their community and how they are perceived by others.
A person can receive honor by fulfilling roles, meeting social expectations, and maintaining the respect their family has earned. On the opposite end, shame comes from the loss of status and public disgrace.
Those who were dishonored experienced severe judgment and disrespect; they were often not welcomed in both public and private spaces, and some would even avoid interactions with those who were shamed.
To witness Jesus, the Messiah, Savior of the World, God’s gift, openly converse and spend his time with those who were ostracized disrupted their entire way of life.
Among this group included tax collectors such as Matthew and Zacchaeus. Tax collectors were deemed as traitors- taking money away from their fellow Jews and giving it to the Roman Empire. They were some of the wealthiest people in society. Others who were shunned may have been because of their chosen lifestyle, ailments, or even because of the families they had been born into.
Jesus is a friend of sinners.
Based on the characteristics society has qualified someone as a sinner, we would all fall short. This was Jesus’ point- all of humanity sins, we all go against God, but we all still matter to Him. He knows every one of our stories, but does not turn His back on us.
One of the common threads we see in each of these stories is the way Jesus approached them. He did not shout, He did not condemn them, He started a relationship with them.
“Healthy people don’t need a doctor- sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mark 2:17
Jesus greeted them, spent time with them, spoke to them about their lives- then the change happened.
This is how we model our ministry. We seek the lost- we give our students a safe place where they feel welcome and can be themselves, we build Christ-centered relationships by getting to know them, we ask about their lives, and over time, we see the transformation happen. Sometimes it’s because of a simple action, sometimes it’s because of a conversation, and sometimes it’s our consistent presence with them that matters.
This is the goal- to show young people compassion, grace, and a Christ-like love. To show them they are cared for and are never alone. It may not happen in a single interaction, and that’s okay. Youth For Christ wants to give every teen the opportunity to experience the Gospel and respond to it.
