A tax collector was a Jew who worked for the Roman government. You can just imagine how his fellow-Jew thought about him.

A sinner devoted his life to sin. Again, you can picture how the average Jew would have despised such a person.

Yet, when we read the story of Jesus, we notice that both of those groups of people went to Him,

Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him (Luke 15:1).

Why did they draw near to Him to hear Him? The next verse reveals at least part of the reason,

And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2).

Why did the Pharisees and scribes criticize Jesus? He received sinners and ate with them, and I believe those sinners knew that Jesus would receive them and eat with them.

They recognized Him as a holy man of God, yet, in Jesus they saw someone with humility and who was receptive.

What can we learn from Jesus?