Where Do You Eat?

Matthew 9:10:13  And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”


What do you make of this event? Jesus eating with the bottom of society, outcasts by Jewish law. Again and again this seems to be his pattern. Would he eat with us, or would we be the folks questioning what he was doing? It seems funny that at the heart of almost every Sunday service is the recognition that Jesus died to save sinners, and yet many church going people can't come to see themselves in that crowd. I know Jesus eats with sinners because every day he eats with me. That is the starting point that the Pharisees could not get to in their own lives. They sought to achieve holiness on their own through following everything they thought was right and good. The results of that is consistent, achieve it and live in pride with no need of a relationship with God, or fail to achieve it and you live in guilt feeing unworthy of a relationship with God. In either case you miss the goal which is a relationship with the living God. Restoration of the ability to walk in the garden with God in peace and joy like the Garden of Eden. 


Scripture says of Jesus. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." Simple as it may sound, he waits for us to answer the door and invite him in, not once we're perfected, but rather when we are in the crowd of sinners at table. The sick need a doctor. We can't become well by being good, the Pharisees tried that and it doesn't work. Start by knowing your a sinner and you become a saint, start thinking you can achieve sainthood and you'll end a sinner. Funny choices huh?