[tx_eggman]

Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them."

So He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? “When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’

“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15:1-7

followed immediately by the story of the Prodigal .... where the lost son comes home in rags covered in pig slop .. and the father runs to embrace him and kiss him

Just sayin' ...

[shotgun]

Thank you for posting that! I used that exact bible verse at a Bible study at my work when one of the ladies mentioned that you can only come to her church if men were dressed in suits and women in dresses.

I also asked how did that fit with Jesus touching the “unclean woman” and that it sounded to me that her church was imposing man’s law ahead of God’s much in the same way the Pharisees did. I also thanked her for telling which church she went to so I could avoid it in the future. Her husband got it but she just turned up her nose...

My pastor, who led to to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, always dressed casually so no one would feel uncomfortable and the sign on the door, “Come as you are” truly meant that. We had a few millionaries in our church as well but no one was ever expected to put on airs to attend.