It s dangerously easy to have the same type of exclusionist attitude toward those who don t have a relationship with Jesus. As Christians, it s possible to overlook the person and see only the wrong things they do or the negative attitudes they hold. They may dress differently or not have the social standing we aspire to. But we must remember that all people are precious in the eyes of God and every person, no matter how bad they are, is loved by God. This is the lesson Jesus is teaching in this chapter of Luke.
Notice verses one and two.
The religious leaders of the time saw Christ s association with sinners as an outrage. They were offended by the fact that Jesus would spend time with those who were not a part of their club. In response, Jesus told three stories to illustrate how valuable people are to God. In the first, He tells of a shepherd who lost one of his hundred sheep. In the second, a woman loses one of her ten coins.