Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them Jesus addressed this parable.
“A man had two sons…
-Luke 15:1-3 from today’s Gospel
While many of us have heard the story of the prodigal son before, have you ever reflected on the dispute that triggered the story in Luke’s Gospel? It’s a dinner party gone horribly wrong! Jesus gets on the nerves of the scribes and Pharisees when he hangs out with the sinners. He doesn’t seem to care too much about the social status of his dinner party. Are there any parts of your life you would prefer to avoid bringing up at a dinner party? How do you think God would respond?