Words Have Meaning!

And both the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

Luke 15:2

In the English language, one word can have many meanings. Take love, for example. I love pizza, my dogs, my kids, my wife, and God, but I don’t love any of those the same way. Biblical Greek has seven different words for love to convey different meanings. The four most familiar words are as follows: 1. Eros, which refers to romantic or sexual love. From it we get the word erotic. 2. Storge. This refers to familial love, like that of a mother for her baby or of a brother and sister for each other. 3. Philia. This refers to friendship and comradery. This word is often translated as “friend” (one who is loved) in the New Testament. 4. Agape. This is used to speak of God’s love that He has for the world and that Christians are supposed to emulate.

In Luke 15, we see that the religious Jewish leaders were attacking Jesus for receiving sinners. Here, we see a difference between English and Greek. The Greek word for receive is dechomai. It can carry the meaning to welcome, to put up with, or to tolerate. That is not the Greek word for received used in this passage. The word translated receives is from the Greek word prosdechon. It carries the meaning of welcoming someone with open arms, warmly, to look forward to.

When I receive or welcome a total stranger into my home, I will be friendly but cautious. However, when I welcomed my son Jacob home from Afghanistan after serving 15 months in combat, there was nothing but joy and happiness in receiving him. I stood and cried seeing my son walk off the plane with his fellow 82nd Airborne paratroopers. I gave him a hug that conveyed my love for him and total acceptance.

That is why the religious leaders were so upset. They could not believe Jesus received sinners in such a loving and accepted way. That is exactly how Jesus receives all of us that are His. He welcomes us with love and acceptance. He knows each of His children by name.

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark