Now all the tax collectors and sinnersTax collectors in the time of Jesus were often despised by the Jewish people because they worked for the Roman authorities and were seen as traitors to their own people. They were known for collecting more than required, enriching themselves at the expense of others. Sinners, in this context, refers to those who were considered morally or ritually impure according to Jewish law. This group included people who did not adhere strictly to the Pharisaic interpretation of the law. The mention of both tax collectors and sinners highlights the inclusive nature of Jesus' ministry, reaching out to those marginalized by society.
were gathering around
The act of gathering around Jesus indicates a strong interest and desire to hear His teachings. This reflects the magnetic nature of Jesus' message and His ability to draw people from all walks of life. The imperfect tense of the verb suggests that this was a repeated or ongoing action, showing that Jesus consistently attracted those who were often shunned by religious leaders.
to listen to Jesus
Listening to Jesus implies an openness to His teachings and a willingness to be transformed by His words. In the cultural context, rabbis and teachers would often have disciples or followers who would sit at their feet to learn. This phrase underscores Jesus' role as a teacher and the authority with which He spoke. It also foreshadows the transformative impact of His message, as many who listened would go on to become His followers. This gathering of tax collectors and sinners contrasts with the religious leaders' rejection of Jesus, highlighting the theme of reversal present throughout the Gospel of Luke.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Tax CollectorsThese individuals were often despised by the Jewish people because they collected taxes for the Roman authorities and were known for being corrupt and extorting more money than required.
2.
SinnersThis term generally referred to those who were considered morally or ritually unclean by the religious leaders, often including those who did not strictly adhere to the Jewish law.
3.
JesusThe central figure of the New Testament, Jesus is the Son of God who came to seek and save the lost. In this context, He is teaching and drawing those who are marginalized by society.
4.
GatheringThis event signifies the act of coming together, indicating that Jesus' message was compelling enough to draw a diverse crowd, including those considered outcasts.
5.
ListeningThe act of listening here implies an openness and willingness to hear and potentially accept the teachings of Jesus, contrasting with the often hardened hearts of the religious elite.
Teaching Points
Jesus' Inclusive MinistryJesus' willingness to engage with tax collectors and sinners demonstrates His inclusive approach to ministry, emphasizing that the gospel is for everyone, regardless of social or moral standing.
Openness to the GospelThe act of gathering and listening to Jesus shows the importance of being open to the message of the gospel, regardless of one's past or societal labels.
Challenge to Religious ElitismJesus' actions challenge the religious elite's view of righteousness, reminding believers to avoid self-righteousness and to extend grace to all.
The Power of PresenceJesus' presence among the marginalized shows the transformative power of simply being present and available to those who are often overlooked.
Repentance and TransformationThe gathering of sinners around Jesus highlights the potential for repentance and transformation when individuals are exposed to the truth of the gospel.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Luke 15:1?
2.How does Luke 15:1 demonstrate Jesus' approach to sinners and tax collectors?
3.What can we learn from Jesus' inclusivity in Luke 15:1 for our lives?
4.How does Luke 15:1 connect with Jesus' mission in Luke 19:10?
5.Why is it important to welcome sinners, as seen in Luke 15:1?
6.How can we emulate Jesus' example in Luke 15:1 in our communities?
7.Why did tax collectors and sinners gather around Jesus in Luke 15:1?
8.What does Luke 15:1 reveal about Jesus' approach to marginalized individuals?
9.How does Luke 15:1 challenge traditional views on religious exclusivity?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Luke 15?
11.What role did tax collectors have in the Bible?
12.What is the meaning of Jesus eating with sinners?
13.What lessons does the Prodigal Son teach about forgiveness?
14.Why would a shepherd risk leaving ninety-nine sheep to fend for themselves just to find one, as stated in Luke 15:4?What Does Luke 15:1 Mean
Now– Luke’s wording places us in a real moment, not a parable or a metaphor.
– The scene follows directly after Jesus’ strong calls to discipleship inLuke 14; His ministry moves seamlessly from challenging the committed (14:25-35) to inviting the broken (15:1).
– Scripture often notes the immediacy of crowds forming around Jesus (Mark 10:1: “crowds gathered around Him again”). God’s word records these moments as factual history.
All the tax collectors and sinners– “Tax collectors” were Jewish men working for Rome; many enriched themselves through over-charging. By Jewish standards they were moral outcasts.
– “Sinners” covers everyone whose public life showed open disregard for God’s law—prostitutes, thieves, and the irreligious.
– These two groups picture the people society labels unreachable. Yet Jesus’ mission explicitly included them (Matthew 9:10-13;Luke 19:2-7).
– Contrast with the self-righteous Pharisee inLuke 18:11; the Gospel highlights the difference between those confident in themselves and those aware of their need.
Were gathering around– The verb points to a steady, repeated action. They kept coming and kept coming.
– Wherever Jesus went, marginalised people drew near (Luke 6:17: “A large crowd of His disciples was there, and a great number of people…had come to hear Him”).
– This pattern fulfills Old Testament expectation that Messiah would shepherd lost sheep (Ezekiel 34:11-16). Christ’s presence magnetically pulls the wounded and weary.
To listen to Jesus– Their primary reason was not curiosity about miracles but hunger for His words.
– Jesus’ message—repentance and forgiveness—answered the ache of sinful hearts (Luke 5:31-32: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick”).
– Faith grows through hearing (Romans 10:17); these listeners position themselves for transformation.
– Peter later echoes the sentiment: “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).
summaryLuke 15:1 paints a literal snapshot: society’s least admired people repeatedly flock to Jesus, eager for His teaching. The verse underscores Christ’s open-armed mission to rescue the lost, the magnetic pull of His truth, and the certainty that the Gospel’s power reaches anyone willing to listen.
XV.(1)Then drew near unto him . . .--Better,and all the publicans and the sinners were drawing near to hear Him. There is not quite the same direct sequence in the Greek as in the English, but what follows comes naturally after the mention of the "multitudes" inLuke 14:25. Publicans and sinners knew that Jesus had turned, as in indignation, from the house of the Pharisee, and this, it may be, gave them courage to approach Him.
Verses 1-32. - The
Lord speaks his three parable-stories of the "lost,"
in which he explains his reason for loving and receiving the sinful.Verses 1, 2. -
Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This Man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them; more accurately rendered,
there were drawing near to him. This was now, in the last stage of the final journey, the usual state of things. The great outside- class came in crowds to listen to Jesus. These were men and women who, through home and family associations, through their occupations, which were looked upon with disfavour by the more rigid Jews, often no doubt through their own careless, indifferent character, had little or nothing to do with their religious and orthodox countrymen. Poor wanderers, sinners, thoughtless ones, no one cared for them, their present or their future. Do not these in every age make up the majority? The religious, so often Pharisees in heart, despising them, refusing to make allowances for them, looking on them as hopelessly lost ones. But at no time was this state of things so accentuated as when Jesus lived among men. Now, among such care. less irreligious men and women, are man whose hearts are very tender, very listen if the teacher of religion has Mud, wise words for them. The grave and severe, yet intensely pitiful and loving, doctrines of the Galilaean Master
found such. His words were words of stern rebuke, and yet were full of hope, even for the hopeless. No man had ever spoken to them like this Man. Hence the crowds of publicans and sinners who were now ever pressing round the Master. But the teachers of Israel, the priestly order, the learned and rigid scribes, the honoured doctors Of the holy
Law, - these were indignant, and on first thoughts not without reason, at the apparent preference felt for and special tenderness shown by Jesus to this great outside class of sinners. The three parables of this fifteenth chapter were the
apologia of the Galilaean Master to orthodox Israel, but they appeal to an audience far greater than any enclosed in the coasts of the Holy Land, or living in that restless age,
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
Nowδὲ(de)Conjunction
Strong's 1161:A primary particle; but, and, etc.allπάντες(pantes)Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3956:All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.theοἱ(hoi)Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.tax collectorsτελῶναι(telōnai)Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5057:A publican, collector of taxes. From telos and oneomai; a tax-farmer, i.e. Collector of public revenue.andκαὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.sinnersἁμαρτωλοὶ(hamartōloi)Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 268:Sinning, sinful, depraved, detestable. From hamartano; sinful, i.e. A sinner.wereἮσαν(Ēsan)Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510:I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.gathering aroundἐγγίζοντες(engizontes)Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1448:Trans: I bring near; intrans: I come near, approach. From eggus; to make near, i.e. approach.to listen toἀκούειν(akouein)Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 191:To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.[Jesus].αὐτοῦ(autou)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.
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NT Gospels: Luke 15:1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners (Luke Lu Lk) 
