“This Man Receiveth Sinners”
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to the influence of the Holy Spirit. Many among them might be won
for Christ.
If the lost sheep is not brought back to the fold, it wanders until it
perishes. And many souls go down to ruin for want of a hand stretched
out to save. These erring ones may appear hard and reckless; but
if they had received the same advantages that others have had, they
might have revealed far more nobility of soul, and greater talent for
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usefulness. Angels pity these wandering ones. Angels weep, while
human eyes are dry and hearts are closed to pity.
O the lack of deep, soul-touching sympathy for the tempted and
the erring! O for more of Christ’s spirit, and for less, far less, of self!
The Pharisees understood Christ’s parable as a rebuke to them.
Instead of accepting their criticism of His work, He had reproved their
neglect of the publicans and sinners. He had not done this openly, lest
it should close their hearts against Him; but His illustration set before
them the very work which God required of them, and which they had
failed to do. Had they been true shepherds, these leaders in Israel
would have done the work of a shepherd. They would have manifested
the mercy and love of Christ, and would have united with Him in His
mission. Their refusal to do this had proved their claims of piety to
be false. Now many rejected Christ’s reproof; yet to some His words
brought conviction. Upon these, after Christ’s ascension to heaven,
the Holy Spirit came, and they united with His disciples in the very
work outlined in the parable of the lost sheep.
The Lost Piece of Silver
After giving the parable of the lost sheep Christ spoke another,
saying, “What woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece,
doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till
she find it?”
In the East the houses of the poor usually consisted of but one
room, often windowless and dark. The room was rarely swept, and a
piece of money falling on the floor would be speedily covered by the
dust and rubbish. In order that it might be found, even in the daytime,
a candle must be lighted, and the house must be swept diligently.
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The wife’s marriage portion usually consisted of pieces of money,
which she carefully preserved as her most cherished possession, to