Jesus taught the Jewish leaders that they also ought to be glad when people turn from their sinful ways.

Luke 15:11-32

11 Then Jesus told them this parable to compare what the Pharisees and teachers of the Jewish law thought about those who turn from their sinful behavior with what God thinks about such people. He said, “A certain man had two sons. 12 One day the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, I do not want to wait until you(sg) die. Give me now the share of your property that belongs to me!’ So the man divided his property between his two sons. 13 A few days later, the younger son sold his share. He gathered his money and other things together and went to a country far away. There he spent all his money foolishly in reckless/wild living. 14 After he had spent all his money, there was a great famine throughout that country. And soon he did not have enough food to eat. 15 So he went to one of the landowners in that area and asked for work. The man sent him to work taking care of the pigs in his field. 16 Because he was very hungry, he would have been glad to eat the bean pods that the pigs ate. But no one gave him anything to eat. 17 Finally he thought clearly about what he had done. He said to himself, ‘All of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food! They have more [SYN] than they can eat, but here I am dying because I do not have anything to eat [HYP]! 18 So I will leave here and go back to my father. I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against God [MTY, EUP] and against you (sg). 19 I am no longer worthy to be called {of you calling me} your son. Just hire me to be like one of the other hired servants.” ’ 20 So he left there and went back to his father’s house. But while he was still some distance from the house, his father saw him. He pitied him. He ran to his son and embraced him and kissed him on the cheek. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against God [MTY/EUP] and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called {of you calling me} your son.’ 22 But his father said to his servants, ‘Go quickly and bring to me the best robe in the house! Then put it on my son. Put a ring on his finger to show that I am honoring him again as my son! Put sandals on his feet to show that I do not consider him to be a slave! 23 Then bring the fat calf and kill it and cook it. We (inc) must eat and celebrate, 24 because my son has returned! It is as though [MET] he was dead and is alive again! It is as though he was lost and now has been found!’ So they did that, and they all began to celebrate.

25 While all that was happening, the man’s older son was out working in the field. When he came near to the house, he heard people playing music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what was happening. 27 The servant said to him, ‘Your younger brother has come home Your father has told us to kill the fat calf to celebrate because your brother has returned safe and healthy.’ 28 But the older brother was angry. He refused to enter the house. So his father came out and pleaded with him to come in. 29 But he replied to his father, ‘Listen to me! For many years I have worked for you like a slave. I always obeyed everything you told me to do. But you never even gave me a young goat, so that I could kill it and cook it and celebrate with my friends. 30 But this son of yours spent all the money he got from what you gave him. He spent it to pay for sleeping with prostitutes! Yes, now he has returned home, but it is not fair that you have told your servants to kill the fat calf and cook it for him!’ 31 But his father said to him, ‘My son, you have always been with me, and all my property that I did not give to your brother has been yours. 32 But it is as though [MET] your brother was dead and is alive again! It is as though he was lost and now he has been found! So it is appropriate for us to be happy and celebrate!’ ”