Moan and Groan?

Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! Luke 15:1-2 

Meditate on with whom you eat…and if you feel like complaining.

 

Moan and groan. Do those Pharisees ever say anything nice about anyone? We always read about them complaining about Jesus and His disciples. Jesus eating with sinners, healing on the Sabbath, and the disciples working by picking wheat heads to eat on the Sabbath. Were the Pharisees sinless? Hardly. Everyone sins…just as was written the prophet Jeremiah. (Underlined for emphasis.)

LORD, we confess our wickedness and that of our ancestors, too. We all have sinned against you. Jeremiah 14:20

Even before that, at the time of Samual, the Israelites recognized that they sinned against God.

Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, "If you want to return to the LORD with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the LORD and obey him alone; then he will rescue you from the Philistines." So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the LORD. Then Samuel told them, "Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you." So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the LORD. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the LORD. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel's judge.) 1 Samuel 7:3-6

Only the Old Testament was written at the time of Jesus and the Pharisees knew God’s word, including these passages. We all have sinned against you. (Speaking to the Lord.) Later, Paul wrote something very similar to the church at Rome, that is included in the New Testament.

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:22-24                                           

Knowing that everyone…that means all people…have sinned against God. They knew it in Samuel’s time…and throughout Jewish history. Those tax collectors and sinners listening to Jesus teach learned that they could be forgiven, and now we know today that we are sinners, too, and can be forgiven. But do we admit it? That is the first step in recognizing Jesus as Lord. I am a sinner…all people sin. God allowed the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus, to completely and forever remove our sin…as we confess it before Him. God is faithful to forgive us. Have you ever asked Him to forgive you?

            What do we learn about Jesus from this scripture passage today?

 

Prayer – Lord God, I know that You have forgiven me for the sins I have committed…yesterday, today, and even tomorrow. Thank you that You have cleansed my heart and made it white as snow—pure. I praise You.

 

Verse of Salvation ~ For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Romans 3:25-26

 

No swine on my plate tonight!
"Pig" created by Liberty.
Too cute to eat!

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

What did Jesus eat as He ate with those tax collectors and sinners? Likely beef, since at banquets we hear that command to “kill the fatted calf” so there would be meat at the celebration. It could have been sheep or goat. It may be more noteworthy to ask what did Jesus not eat?! Jesus and other Jews did not eat pork. They were commanded by God not to eat swine.

Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. "Of all the land animals, these are the ones you may use for food. ... The pig has evenly split hooves but does not chew the cud, so it is unclean. You may not eat the meat of these animals or even touch their carcasses. They are ceremonially unclean for you.” Leviticus 11:1-2, 7-8

Additionally, God was protecting His people when He commanded them not to eat of the fat of those animals. The fat was for the Lord, but also, the fat contained toxins which would be harmful to people.

The priest must present part of this offering as a special gift to the LORD. This includes all the fat around the internal organs, ... and the priest will burn them on the altar. It is a special gift of food, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. All the fat belongs to the LORD. "You must never eat any fat or blood. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation, wherever you live." Leviticus 3:14, 16-17

So—what’s on your plate today? Not fat!

 

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© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

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