Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Happy Sunday. It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I absolutely love gathering around a table with people that I love. There's something sacred about eating with others.

Churches build fellowship halls just so their congregants can dine together. When friends visit, we plan menus and we do our best to make them happy at our table. In the book of Mark chapter 2, we find a group gathered around a table with Jesus and some people were not too happy about it. I'll read beginning with verse 13.

Jesus went out again by the sea and all the multitude came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alpia, sitting at the tax office. He said to him, "Follow me." So he arose and followed Jesus.

Now it happened as he was dining in Levi's house that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him. And when the scribes and the Pharisees saw him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to his disciples, "How is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Scholars call this the scandal of grace. Jesus eating with such people was a scandal to the scribes and Pharisees. To many, this story would have been shocking. Really, really shocking because Jesus is in the home of a tax collector, a tax collector.

This is scandalous behi beyond comprehension to many because no self-respecting teacher of any kind would want anything to do with a tax collector in those days. Tax collectors were hated. And we're told that this tax collector's named Levi. And Levi must have been shocked.

He must have been absolutely shocked that Jesus would ask him of all people to follow him and then come to his house to eat. You don't know this man as Levi. You know him as as Matthew? Yes, that Matthew.

He changed his name from Levi to Matthew. And the name Matthew means gift of God. For he had been given a gift of God in the gift of salvation. And so Levi, now Matthew, followed Jesus.

Tax collectors had bad reps. They were barred from synagogues. Um they were unclean. They couldn't testify in a court of law in some c circumstances.

They were lumped in with murderers and robbers. And back to the party, as if sitting at the table of a tax collector is not bad enough, Mark tells us that there were others there. There were many tax collectors. And then Mark says, "And sinners also sat together with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many and they followed him."

Here a revival is happening and lives are changing and people are following Jesus and it's a happy moment until verse 16 and there we are told and when the scribes and the Pharisees the religious leaders of the day and when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and sinners they said to his disciples how is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners they couldn't believe it symbolized acceptance friendship ship and they the scribes and Pharisees wouldn't dare eat with anybody at that table. Jesus heard their complaining and he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick and I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." Jesus is the spiritual doctor and he needs to go to the people who need to be healed. The Pharisees can see how sick with sin these people are.

and they don't care. They don't want to help them. They don't want to be at the table. Why?

Because the love of God is not in them. They were so far from God. Today, I am thankful. I am thankful that I am welcome at God's table.

I am thankful that Jesus came for sick sinners just like me. Years ago, I was around 12. I guess we had a man come over to do some work for us. And it came time for lunch.

So my mom set a place at the table for him, but he would not sit with us. He chose to eat on the back porch. He felt like he didn't belong at our table, and that bothered me as a kid. The man disqualified himself from a wonderful fellowship.

Have you ever known anyone like that? If so, invite them to God's table and let them know that they are most welcome. Pray with me. Lord, thank you so for this month and the celebrations that we will have gathered at tables.

Thank you most of all we are welcome at your table. And help us to never exclude anyone from the love of God. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

God bless. Have a great day.