The Lost Sheep -3 (Modernism Part 55)

Today’s gospel: Luke 15:1-32 Modernists today justify their accommodation, welcoming, and accompaniment of sinners by pointing to Jesus, as “tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus.” (v.1). In fact, they criticize conservatives as they falsely claim that conservatives “complain, saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” (v.2). But authentic Christians ought to accept sinners, but without accepting their sin. They are to love the sinner but hate the sin. Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep, which is a parable about God’s mercy. The man searches for the one lost sheep and leaves the 99 behind. When he finds it, he rejoices. Then he says, “I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” (v.7). God rejoices over a sinner who repents. He does not rejoice over people who do not repent, especially if these are not even righteous but sinful. This is the error of modernists. They just look to accepting and accommodating sinners but do not strive to get them out of their sin. Then Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son. This son did grave wrong, rejecting his father and family life to go off to live a life of dissipation. But when he returns, his father fully accepts him, restoring him to his rightful place as his son. But notice that prior to this, the son had repented. He would say to his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” (v.18). This is the way forward for those who have sinned and who have left the presence of God. No sin is too great, as greater is God’s mercy. All the sinner needs to do is to repent and to return. The error of modernists is that they do not facilitate the repentance of the sinner. They just accept the sinner and nothing more. They think they are being merciful, but it is false mercy, as the sinner remains in his sin. The sinner is dead and has not come to life again, is still lost, and has not been found (v.24).