Compliment or Insult?

Luke 15:1-10

Dishonest tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus’ sermons; but this caused complaints from the Jewish religious leaders and the experts on Jewish law because he was associating with such despicable people, even eating with them. “This man” they said “welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus used this illustration: “If you had a hundred sheep and one of them strayed away and was lost in the wilderness, wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine others to go and search for the lost one until you found it? And then you would joyfully carry it home on your shoulders. When you arrived you would call together your friends and neighbors to rejoice with you because your lost sheep was found. “Well, in the same way heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who haven’t strayed away! “Or take another illustration: A woman has ten valuable silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and look in every corner of the house and sweep every nook and cranny until she finds it? And then won’t she call in her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her? In the same way there is joy in the presence of the angels of God when one sinner repents.”

Food for thought!

What do you think? Are the words of the enemies of Jesus, the Jewish religious leaders and the experts on Jewish law, an insult or a compliment? Were they insulting Jesus or paying him a compliment when they said: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” When someone says such words as these ones below, does s/he insult you or pays you a compliment?

• You’re not fat, you’re beautiful!
• Don’t worry about what others think of you.
• You’re so brave to be wearing that!
• You’ve lost weight!
• You look so great today!
• I never knew you were so intelligent!
• You look so much younger with that hair color.
• I'm just surprised that you knew that.
• How did you get that great job?
• You finally finished that!
• Did you make this? Its delicious.
• Are you sure you can handle this, because that would be really great.

Well, the answer is simple. If the person is your friend, these words are a compliment; if he or she is your enemy, they are insults. This is what we see in gospel reading of today. It is Jesus' enemies who wanted to destroy his name and character.

When your enemies try to put you down by throwing those little annoying "critiques" that are intended to set you off, don't let them win! Be like Jesus: stick to the facts. And the facts are that “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God when one sinner repents.”