The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. —Luke 19:10.
Jesus’ opponents said that he was “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 7:34). Of all the things people called Jesus, I believe that was one of his favorites. Come to think of it, I believe it’s my favorite, too! Jesus came to seek and save all of us who are lost because God wanted us to find salvation in Jesus (John 3:16-17). He did this when we were “powerless,” “ungodly,” “sinners,” and “God’s enemies” (Romans 5:6, 8, 10). So, let’s praise God that Jesus is not only “a friend of tax collectors and sinners,” but he also came to be our friend, to save us, and to bring us back to God (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:20),