Luke 15:2

Luke 15:2, in plain English

The Pharisees start grumbling: 'This man actually welcomes sinners and eats with them!' They can't believe Jesus would share a meal with such people.

Why it's here

Eating together was a big deal — it meant acceptance and friendship. The Pharisees were horrified that Jesus offered that to people they considered beneath them.

Who's speaking

The Pharisees and scribes complain among themselves, and their grumbling triggers three of the most beautiful stories ever told.

Where it sits in the story

Their complaint is meant as an insult, but it's actually one of the best descriptions of Jesus ever: 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.'

The scholarly reading

The Pharisees' complaint uses the imperfect tense (diegogyzon, 'were grumbling') indicating persistent, ongoing criticism. 'Welcomes' (prosdechetai) and 'eats with' (synesthiei) imply Jesus offers full fellowship to sinners.

Language and setting

Table fellowship in Jewish culture signified acceptance and covenant solidarity. Eating with sinners was not merely social but theologically provocative.

Voice

The Pharisees and scribes grumble collectively, their complaint echoing Israel's wilderness murmuring — a loaded theological allusion in Luke's narrative.

Significance

The religious leaders grumble that Jesus not only tolerates sinners but actively welcomes them to His table — a scandalous breach of purity boundaries.

1Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus.

2So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3Then Jesus told them this parable:

4“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?

Read all of Luke 15 — Three things go missing — a sheep, a coin, a son. The father's response in the last story is the heart of the gospel in a single embrace.