“The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).
St. Paul wrote these words to Timothy with absolute certainty, and he knew this truth from personal experience. “I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence,” he said, yet, “I received mercy, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:13-14).
Paul saw himself as the “foremost” sinner, once lost until Christ struck him blind on the Damascus road and called him to account. That moment of mercy became the turning point of his life. Paul came home to a steadfast faith in Christ, and from then on, carried the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Our Gospel lesson for this Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Luke 15:1-10, tells a similar story of mercy. The Pharisees complained of Jesus, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2). Jesus answered their grumbling with parables about a lost sheep and a lost coin.
“Which one of you,” Jesus asked, “having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety- nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices” (Luke 15:4-5).
It is extravagant. It makes no sense to risk ninety-nine for one. Yet that is the point. God’s mercy defies reason. God rejoices over each soul restored. Jesus declares, “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7).
Who are these “righteous” ones who need no repentance?! As my Latin teacher used to say, “There is no such animal.” Scripture agrees: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
The truth is, we all wander. We act in pride, we grow selfish, we neglect the voice of God. To be lost is not always to be wicked – it is simply to be human. Our Shepherd diligently searches for each of us with love and compassion and calls us home.
In Jesus’ parables, the shepherd and the woman both call their neighbors to rejoice with them when their lost sheep and coin have been found. This points out a challenge for us – our willingness to celebrate God’s mercy towards others. Do we rejoice when the other “lost sheep” come home? Or do we grumble, reluctant to forgive?
This is important because we are all united in community, and when one of us is sinfully lost or missing, the whole community suffers. When one is restored, the Body of Christ is made whole again. Part of our faithful hospitality is about forgiveness and restoration – going beyond our own repentance and reconciliation, reaching out to others who are lost and inviting them back into community. Many may say “No,” but we, like Jesus, still offer welcome and rejoicing for those who return.
As commentator Helen Montgomery Debevoise put it: “Sinners and tax collectors gather at the table with the Christ? Rejoice! Laugh! Be glad! … The coin that fell through the cracks is blessedly retrieved. We can feast! Hope is restored!”
We warmly invite you to join Trinity Episcopal Church each Sunday at 10:00 a.m., where you will find a welcoming congregation, uplifting liturgy, and the good news of God’s love shared in word and sacrament. All are welcome—come and be part of a community that seeks to stand tall together in faith and love.
