TODAY'S gospel, as recorded in Luke 15:1-10, highlights two main ideas: (1) the vanity of being prejudicial, and (2) the importance of each person in the eyes of God.

Seeing Jesus eat with tax collectors and other outcasts of the Jewish society, the Pharisees became indignant. Inflamed by their sense of self-righteousness, these experts of the Law did not want to mingle with people they consider unholy. Thus, they were critical of Jesus who freely associated with men who are publicly perceived as sinners.

For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter

Even as the Pharisees showed signs of objection to Jesus' act, the Lord did not succumb to their vanity. He could have wanted to tell the Pharisees what he said in Matthew 7:1-3, "Do not judge others so that God will not judge you. For God will judge you in the same way you judge others, and he will apply to you the same rules you apply to others. Why, then, do you look at the speck in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the log in your own eye?"

Standing his ground, Jesus narrated two parables, the more popular one being that of the Lost Sheep. He said that if a shepherd has one hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, he should leave the other ninety-nine in the open country and search for the missing one. Once he finds it, he joyfully carries it home upon his shoulders, calls his neighbors and celebrates. "In the same way," he said, "heaven rejoices more over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine people who do not need to repent."

Elsewhere (in Luke 13:1-5), Jesus warns us not to think of ourselves as better than others when our fellowmen suffer from a calamity while we are spared. Told about Galileans whom Pilate killed, he said, "Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." He added, "Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

Our world already had a long history of prejudice; there has been so much discrimination based on religious beliefs, race, gender, socio-economic status, education, physical appearance, mental ability, and the like. Worst, however, is discrimination anchored on self-perceived righteousness. Along this line, Jesus, in the Scriptures, models to us the right attitude to take and the appropriate action to make. Associate with sinners? Yes! For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. In associating with sinners, do as they do? No! Rather, find them who are lost, bring them back to God's fold, and heal them. In Jesus' words, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners (Mark 2:17)."

(Dr. Jaime V. Cortez is currently the AVP for Academic Affairs of Holy Angel University, Angeles City. He can be reached at jcortez@hau.edu.ph and/or at profcortez@yahoo.com.)