Jesus often found Himself teaching two different classes of people in the Jewish society. Many leaders in the religious class were self-righteous. They kept all the rules for ceremonial cleanness, observing both those given by Moses in the law and hundreds that had been added on through the years. They made these add-on traditions equal to God's commands. Many leaders among the Pharisees sought honor from men, before honor from God. They laid heavy yokes or burdens on their followers. To make things worse, the practices of the leaders of this large Jewish denomination did not reflect either the heart or mind of God. Jesus often confronted these leaders concerning their flawed view of God and their erroneous theology and practices.
The other class of people Jesus encountered daily were the common people and the tax collectors. The four fisherman and a tax collector whom Jesus called to be among His closest 12 fit this category. These people were often looked down on and considered unclean by the Pharisees, so they called them 'sinners'.
Jesus had both Pharisees and 'sinners' in His audience when He tells three parables found in Luke 15. These parables explain His heart and actions that reflect the true heart and mind of God. He tells the parables to help both groups understand the value of every person to God, the love of God for them, and that God desires that all people might know Him and be with Him forever. Today many of our theologies have drifted. We must go back to Scripture to correct that which is false, to purify our hearts and our minds with regard to how we view God, so that we may see Him as He is.
