The Lutheran Hour

"The Sinner’s Friend"

#77-27
Presented on The Lutheran Hour on March 14, 2010
Speaker: Rev. Ken Klaus
Copyright 2025 Lutheran Hour Ministries

Text: Luke 15:1-2

Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Today God’s good news of great joy speaks to sinners everywhere. The Holy Spirit calls sinners and tax collectors to the Christ. There we shall be granted God’s forgiveness, peace, and salvation. May Jesus grant these gifts to us all. Amen.

Back in the days when I was a younger man and my children were quite small, I tried to run the congregation to which I was called. As the things we were doing succeeded, the responsibilities of the office grew. Well, I couldn’t let those people down so I just rolled up my sleeves and dove on in. True, doing all the things which were necessary called for putting in more hours; it demanded I be away from home quite a bit.

At our big family Sunday lunch I made sure that I took some time to explain to the children that I was a pastor and had a responsibility to help all those wonderful people they saw every Sunday at church. I shared how those people were counting on me and although I missed my little ones, I was doing what the Lord wanted me to do.

But I comforted myself with the knowledge that Pam is a wonderful wife and mother. She watched the home; I watched the church and that’s the way it was.

That’s-the-way-it-was all changed the week we began to put information cards into the Sunday bulletin. Every week in my announcements I would say, “In your worship folder there is an information card. Members, if there is anything I can do for you this week, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

On Wednesday morning one of my elders called and asked if I could have lunch with him. Not a problem. Around 11:30 we met at the local coffee shop. He began, “Pastor, I want you to know that I’m here representing the rest of the Elders. We’ve talked about something and it was felt that it would be best if I visited with you alone. Although we are generally pleased with your performance of duties, we have become aware of a rather serious situation which calls for your immediate involvement.” He slid one of our information cards across the table. I flipped it over. It said, “I would like a call from my pastor” and it was signed by Kirsten, and our son Kurt, and my wife Pam. Our youngest, Kris, would have signed it… if she had known how.

“Pastor”, he said “we all agree, these are your first responsibilities. After God. We Elders will help with some of the other things. Your job is to take care of your family.” Then, having said that, he paid for the meal… and left enough to pay for a few more lunches. As he left, Pam and the kids came waltzing through the door. We had a wonderful lunch together. As for those Elders… they changed my life, and my ministry. Those common-sensed farmers taught me three things that day. First, they taught me I wasn’t all that important to things. Second, they taught me I wasn’t irreplaceable. And third, they taught me that I should always… ALWAYS… have room and make time for the people who are most important, for those who need me.

That was something Jesus knew already. No, not the part about being unimportant. No Christian could ever say Jesus wasn’t important. Jesus is all important. It is He and He alone who came into this world to give His life as a ransom for us. (Mt. 20:28 b) And Jesus never had to learn He was replaceable, because He isn’t. The Scriptures are clear, Jesus, who was once rejected by His own people, has, through His lifelong fulfillment of all the Ten Commandments, through His constant resisting of Satan’s temptations, through His third-day defeat of our final enemy, death, has become the Foundation upon which our forgiveness is given, our faith is built, and our eternity won. Replace Jesus? Impossible! “There is salvation in no one else, for His is the only Name under heaven used by humankind which can save lost sinners.” (Acts 4: 11-12 (excerpts) How could the Lamb of God be replaced when He alone is the way, and the truth, and the life. How could He be replaced since nobody comes to the Father except through Him? (John 14:6)

So what did I learn those many years ago… what was I taught that Jesus already knew? Simply this: always make time; always reach out for those who need you. That is something Jesus did throughout His entire ministry. Imagine, the all-important, the all-powerful, the all-knowing Son of God willingly gave His time and Himself for those who were pretty small, pretty low, and very needy. Now you may not think much of that attribute of the Savior, but I’m here to tell you that quality makes Jesus incredibly special. Back in the Old Testament book of Esther it tells how the Queen took her life in her hands when she approached the king without an invitation.

Today approaching a celebrity can be just as dangerous. I think I’m safe in saying that most of the time, before you get too close, you’re going to find a very large bodyguard stepping between the two of you. Yeah, it’s tough to get close to media celebrities. But it’s harder to get close to the super-powerful of this world.

For your sake, please, don’t try going to the White House without an invitation. Don’t try to go up to the front door and ask if the President would like to join you on the front porch and share a beer. It’s not going to happen. And if you can’t get into the White House anytime you want, you most assuredly will not be able to shoulder your way through a crowd so you can shake the hand of the Commander-in-chief. You may admire him; you may love him; you may vote for him 100 times over, but you can’t get close to the President… or the Prime Minister… not even the Pope. All these leaders I’ve mentioned are protected with agents you can see as well as levels of security you can’t imagine. The day you could approach a President and shake his hand without being screened or having a serious background check ended on September 6, 1901. That’s when an unemployed Detroit factory worker waited in line to murder rather than shake the hand of President William McKinley.

You can’t get close to the rich and famous and powerful. But with Jesus it’s different. He is the Son of God, He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, but He also is the Savior who is eager to meet, greet, talk, and listen to the important people who need Him. That’s what it says in the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke. It reads this way: “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Two groups… tax collectors and sinners who were drawing near to Jesus. That’s group #1. Then there’s group #2 – Pharisees and Scribes who were criticizing and complaining about the Savior.

Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to take a closer look at Group #1. You remember, that’s the tax collectors and sinners. The dregs of society. The untouchables; the outcasts; the forgotten and unwanted. These were the ones who closely encircled the Savior so they might not miss anything He had to say. And unlike so many other Rabbis and so-called great teachers of that age who considered their thoughts and their words too lofty and pure to be placed before such losers, Jesus showed He was more than willing to speak to those folks who so desperately needed Him.

Jesus’ words show His willingness to make time for those who were special. Did He not say, ‘Come unto me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28)? Those words are most precious and they do strike the right chord, but what do the Savior’s actions show? Is there a divergence, a variation between His words and His deeds? We all know that it is an easy thing, an expected thing, for a politician or preacher to talk a good game with the people. They do that a lot when it’s time to be reelected or when they’re asking for contributions. But what happens after your check is written and the campaign is over? Does the great leader disappear behind closed and bolted doors? Does your old friend … that IS what he said he was … does your ‘old friend’ all of a sudden become unreachable? That is the kind of thing we are used to, isn’t it? If that’s the way you feel, then let’s take a look at Jesus. Let’s find out, do His actions support His words or do they cancel his wonderful message?

Take a quick walk with me through the Gospels. Tell me what you see. Here. Here are some mothers who thought it would be a good thing to have Jesus place His hands on the heads of their little ones and offer them a blessing. You can see the disorganized procession of loud little boys, crying babies, laughing children, infants on their mother’s hip, and tiny, shy, dark-eyed girls. See! Their approach is barred by Jesus’ disciples who say, “The Master has been most busy lately. He has been entirely too busy, and He is far too tired to be disturbed by you and your children. Perhaps another day a blessing might be in order… another day, but not this day.”

Watch carefully. Jesus has overheard the words of His disciples. He has listened as they laid down the law. It takes but a second to see what the Savior’s going to do. Quickly He countermands the disciples’ orders; immediately He welcomes the children and their mothers; gladly He blesses them. He has time for those who need Him the most, and these children most certainly qualify as being among those who want to be near Him the most.

But don’t stop with that scene. There is more, much more to be seen. Look, over there is a leper. Without cure in Jesus’ time, leprosy is a hideous, disfiguring, killing disease. All who have it are exiled from family and friends. All who wear its mark must dress in rags and warn anyone who is healthy to stay away. The constant warning call: “Unclean”, “Unclean”, is an unenviable way to live and die. Watch. Do you see? This leper puts his life in danger by coming so close and kneeling before Jesus. His voice changed by the disease, croaks out the plea, “If You want, You can make me clean.” You know, Jesus should walk away. All the law books say He should; the priests would say He should; anybody with any common sense says Jesus should not say a word, but just turn His back and walk away. But, look carefully, Jesus did not turn; He did not leave. He reached down; He touched the leper and the man was cleansed. Jesus made time for those who needed Him the most.

Look … look … look at the steady stream of humanity who comes. There are the blind, the crippled, the lepers, the possessed. There are those who have seen death. See how they carry their children, their family members … a boy from Nain … a girl from Capernaum… a brother from Bethany. There are hungry multitudes and Jesus feeds them; there are lonely outcasts and Jesus embraces them. If you watch, you will see the Savior become exhausted, but He does not send anyone away. You will see that He gives until He has nothing left to give, and then He gives some more. Jesus has time for a woman who is caught in adultery. He saves her life. There is another with whom He trades words at a well. He changes her life, too. They needed Him.

But there is much more than Jesus’ miracles to see. Yes, the miracles are impressive, but they are not the beginning and ending of the Savior’s work. Listen to His words. He speaks comfort, wondrous comfort to those who are lonely and in pain; He dries up the tears of those who mourn and offers peace to those who thought sorrow would be their permanent lot in life. In our age there are those who say Jesus accepted everybody, even the worst of sinners. That is true. He did. But if you watch, if you listen, you will see and hear that Jesus didn’t accept or bless their sins. He called out to those hurting hearts, those convicted consciences. He called them to Him and away from their transgressions. With the authority He alone possessed He called to them and brought them to repentance, confession, and forgiveness. Look at the parade. Souls who are brought to Jesus are transformed by His call to repentance and salvation. They are changed just as much as those who have had their illnesses cured. Of course they are changed. They needed Him.

Does Jesus have time for those who need Him? To find the answer to that question there is one more place where we must go. The place is Calvary and against the dark sky the shadow of three men on crosses can be made out. If the horror of watching an innocent Man die to take away the sins of a guilty world is too much to bear, you may look away. If the Savior’S suffering is too harsh a sight, I encourage you to close your eyes and listen. Listen to what Jesus says.

As He hung on the cross, Jesus spoke seven times … and three of those times were not for Himself, but for those who needed Him the most. Even from the cross the Christ was concerned about others. What love must have been in His heart for Him to forgive the evil men who nailed Him to the cross? Still that is what He said. “Father forgive them.” Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised. To offer forgiveness to repentant hearts is why He had been born. Jesus spoke again. “Woman, behold your son.” With just a few words Jesus
made provision for the earthly care of the lady who had, for about half-a-century, been the Lord’s willing servant. Yes, she needed Him, and now she would know the gentle ministrations of His beloved Disciple John.

Then, through His pain, through the searing agony, Jesus heard the plea of the man who was dying next to Him. “Remember me”, he pleaded. Even as he died, this man managed to confess his sins and make a witness of his faith. Then he came to Jesus in prayer. To the man who needed him the most, Jesus gave the greatest promise: “You will be with Me in paradise.” It is a promise Jesus has made to repentant and believing sinners in every land, in every century.

Jesus has already paid the price of salvation for you. Don’t be among the standoffish critics who have convinced themselves they don’t need a Savior. They do. We all do. Please let the Holy Spirit bring you with your need closer to Jesus. Please, do not say no to the Savior’s call. To that end, if we can help, please call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.

LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers)
March 14, 2010
Topic: St. Patrick

Announcer: Who was St. Patrick and for what should he be remembered?

Klaus: And no, he did not invent green beer!

Announcer: That’s Pastor Ken Klaus, I’m Mark Eischer. A listener writes: “Pastor Klaus, I know that you do more than speak on ‘The Lutheran Hour.’ You also do a lot of work for Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Men’s NetWork …”

Klaus: That’s true. You know, if our listeners haven’t heard about the Men’s NetWork they really might want to check it out at Ihm-men.com.

Announcer: They’ll find lots of information and a lot of free resources for men’s ministry. Again, that’s Ihm-men.com. Anyway, our letter continues, “I saw the video you hosted, titled “The Real st. Nick.” I appreciate how you tried to separate the man from all the legends that have grown up around him. I learned a lot and so did my kids. Are you planning to do the same thing with other Christian saints whose reality has become overshadowed by myth?”

Klaus: You know that sort of thing does happen. Not just with saints, but with beloved politicians and other historical figures, as well.

Announcer: Very true. Well, what about these well-known saints of the Church?

Klaus: Yeah, we are thinking about doing the same with others–although when it comes to being famous, Hagios Nicholas, Saint Nick, he really is at the top of the heap.

Announcer: But, closely followed, I would think, by Saint Patrick and Saint Valentine.

Klaus: Whose festivals we celebrate on their days in February and March.

Announcer: Well, have you considered doing a study on Ireland’s saint?

Klaus: Possibly. Do you think we ought?

Announcer: Well, there seems to be more and more celebrating taking place in his name, although maybe not necessarily in a way that brings honor to his name.

Klaus: Yeah, in some places it’s gotten to be just another excuse to go out drinking.

Announcer: Sort of like St. Nick is associated with Christmas shopping, St. Patrick has become associated with green beer and shamrocks. But, I’d like to know more about his actual accomplishments.

Klaus: Well, I can give you some information. Patrick was born sometime around the year 380 in Scotland or Wales.

Announcer: Don’t we know that for sure?

Klaus: Record keeping wasn’t overly pursued in those days. Patrick’s real name was
probably Maewyn Succat. At the age of sixteen he was captured by an Irish warlord, Niall of the Nine Hostages and Patrick spent six miserable years in slavery tending sheep. Eventually he escaped, was recaptured, and escaped again.

Announcer: Sounds like it was a discouraging time for him.

Klaus: Yeah, really just the beginning of St. Pat’s discouragements. He eventually decided to become a minister for the Lord. That meant some serious studying. Upon completing his studies, he returned to Britain as a priest. There, in a dream he heard a voice saying something like, “We beseech thee, holy youth, to come and walk once more amongst us.” And, he took that to mean that he should return to Ireland, but this time not as a slave but as a missionary of Christ.

Announcer: And so, Patrick immediately left for Ireland?

Klaus: No, actually not. Another fellow went first. A fellow by the name of Palladius. But, before too long Palladius died and then Patrick was sent to take his place.

Announcer: OK. Now how is it that we associate St. Patrick with the four-leaf clover?

Klaus: Actually, it’s the 3-leaf-clover, the shamrock. Patrick told the Irish people that unlike their native religions, Christians worshipped one God, but that one God had three distinct Persons …

Announcer: Right, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Klaus: Exactly. Well, the local priests, probably at that time, those were Druids, they went absolutely crackers at that idea. Just about fell down laughing. It didn’t make any sense to them and the Trinity sometimes is hard to explain.
Well, Patrick prayed to the Lord for inspiration. He was looking for some way to explain the concept. That’s when he spotted a three-leaf clover, picked it up and said something to the effect of: “Here. Look at this. There is one stem but there are three leaves on it. So it is with the Blessed Trinity. There is one God but three persons stemming from that same divinity.” Well, that impressed the king. He gave Patrick permission to speak throughout the country, and the Holy Spirit worked through Patrick’s preaching to the Irish people. He brought to faith in Christ.

Announcer: Now, what about green beer? Where does that come from?

Klaus: I really don’t know anything about green beer, Mark … but, I give my word I will study the topic in depth.

Announcer: Very good. And, that brings us to the end of our broadcast for this week. We thank you, the listener, for making this program part of your day. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Music selections for this program:

“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing HousefSESAC

“The Lord God Is My Strength and My Song” by Phillip Magness. Old Testament Canticle from Lutheran Service Book,

“Service of Prayer and Preaching” (© 2006 Concordia Publishing House)

“Cross of Jesus, Cross of Sorrow” arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.

“As Rebels, Lord, Who Foolishly Have Wandered” by Jeffrey Blersch. From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)

“I Bind Unto Myself Today” trad. Irish. From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)