Jesus’ Mission: Seeking and Saving the Lost

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” — Luke 15:1–2

Jesus Sees the People

When Jesus looked out at the crowds, He didn’t just see faces—He saw hearts.

He saw stories.

He saw pain and potential.

He saw the ones everyone else overlooked.

The Pharisees saw “sinners.” Jesus saw people.

The Greek word used here—hamartōlos—means sinner, irreligious, or one who misses the mark. But to Jesus, these weren’t labels. They were people worth loving. Jesus didn’t categorize them by their mistakes; He cared for them as God’s children.

So, He sat down and ate with them. That simple act of table fellowship changed everything. Eating together meant acceptance, presence, belonging. Jesus knew that sharing a meal was one of the most powerful ways to show the love of God.

As Joshua Harris put it, “Hang out with sinners so much that it ruins your reputation with religious people.”

That’s exactly what Jesus did.

Jesus Gives People What They Need

When the world offered shame, Jesus offered presence.

When others pointed fingers, Jesus extended His hands.

His mission was clear:

“The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” — Luke 19:10

“Lost” doesn’t just mean unbelievers. Sometimes it means those of us who’ve lost our way even while following Christ. The lost are the ones who no longer know where they’re going—Christians and non-Christians alike.

And what do the lost need most? Not judgment. Not distance.

They need the presence of God.

Jesus gives us what we truly need: not condemnation, but connection.

Seeing Through the Eyes of Christ

The song “Give Me Your Eyes” by Brandon Heath captures this longing beautifully:

“Give me your eyes for just one second,

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I keep missing,

Give me your love for humanity…”

What would it look like for us, as followers of Jesus, to see people the way He does?

To look beyond appearance, politics, or reputation and see the person—the image of God—within?

Every day we walk by people “going somewhere,” as Heath says, yet how often do we truly see them?

The mom holding back tears at the grocery store.

The coworker who laughs a little too loudly to cover the loneliness.

The teen trying to act tough because he’s afraid no one cares.

To follow Jesus is to ask for His eyes—eyes that notice, eyes that care, eyes that move us to action.

One Awkward Moment Could Change a Life

Casting Crowns puts it plainly in “One Awkward Moment”:

“One word, one hand—tell me, is that too high a price?

One awkward moment could be the one that saves a life.”

You never know how God might use your small act of courage to reach someone’s heart.

A conversation.

A prayer.

A moment of kindness.

We often fear saying the wrong thing or being rejected, but what if that one awkward moment is the very thing God uses to open someone’s eyes to His grace?

The Mission of Jesus Is Our Mission Too

At Church gatherings, we talk about growing in Christ, serving others, and sharing our faith.

That’s what this story is all about.

Jesus is still seeking and saving the lost—and He’s doing it through people like you and me.

Through your compassion.

Through your willingness to see people as Jesus does.

Through your “one awkward moment” that becomes a doorway for grace.

May we be a church that sees people—not as labels, but as loved.

May we join Jesus in His mission of seeking and saving the lost, one person, one story, one conversation at a time.

A Prayer to See Like Jesus

Lord,

Give us Your eyes to see those around us who are hurting, lonely, and lost.

Give us courage to love those who feel unlovable.

Give us hearts that reflect Your grace and lives that point to Your presence.

Use us to bring hope where there is despair, and light where there is darkness.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.