Welcoming?

There are 40 parables recorded in the Gospels that Jesus gave. The parable of the Lost Sheep is given in response to the Pharisee and the Scribes comment in Luke 15:2, "This man (Jesus) welcomes sinners and eats with them." Jesus welcomed the outcasts of His day. And He ate with them, which was a way of demonstrating that I accept you. Jesus may have hated the sin, but He loved the sinner. This parable reminds us that GOD cares for us, loves and welcomes us into His Kingdom, just as the shepherd in the story demonstrated those characteristics for his lost sheep.
The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:1 reminds us we are to be "Imitators of GOD." Imitators of the Good Shepherd who not only sought out those which are lost, but lovingly welcomed them back, accepting them into the fold. If we are to truly imitate Him, doesn't this mean we are not only to be welcoming, but accepting of others?