And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (ESV)

I’m so excited I get to talk about this passage! Who has Jesus come for: the righteous or the sinners?  He came for sinners, and that’s me!  This is revolutionary. Who else has not only come for sinners, but laid down his life for them?  Most people in history might travel far and wide to see greatness or royalty, or for us today, maybe a famous musician or a superstar athlete.  But for multiple repeatedly sinning offenders, Jesus came! He came, and he will come again to eat and drink with us forever!

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And yet, when we look at the people of this world, are we at times both impressed with what people do, yet often horrified just the same?  What do we expect of those who are not Christians?  Do we expect them to be living like Jesus?  Do we expect them to be following a particular set of ideas?  What do we expect of those who are Christian – to be living perfectly?

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It makes me think of 1 Corinthians 12:21-27: “The eye can never say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you.’ The head can’t say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you.’  In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary...” (NLT).  What if this actually happened, and your ear spoke to your listening hand, saying, “Off with the nose!” And your hand hacked it off?!

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In The Party Crasher, Joshua Ryan Butler talks about Table Fellowship as one of the “Scatter Practices” or common Christian practices that can help to shape our political formation (pp. 144-146). Think of how damaging to the idea of Table Fellowship it is if, just like the Pharisees, we refuse to eat and drink with people that we judge are fill in the blank (not living righteously enough, following the wrong political party, lower class, unrelatable, ugly, LGBT, woke, gunslinging, ect.).  What if we invite the Spirit in to explore the diversity of this “Scatter Practice” of Table Fellowship, and he begins to reshape the way we think?  You may find yourself thinking of how Jesus treated others before you think of how your political information sources would like you to think about others.

“So who’s at your table?” Butler asks.  He mentions how history has shown that community without diversity tends towards idolatry.  I would add one caveat: without the love of Jesus and the Spirit to direct us, diversity will also lead us towards idolatry.  We can look at the cities of the US today, full of diversity, yet still struggling to see Jesus for who he is as much as any time in history.  Therefore, Jesus is KEY!  Looking at our passage, Jesus DOES use diversity in how he reveals himself to the world, and Butler suggests that we do the same by intentionally inviting into our lives those who are different from us.

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So, who’s at your table?  You may be feeling the natural human inclination to respond in several common ways:  I’ll do it, because that’s what a good Christian should do.  I’ll resist, because it’s out of my comfort zone, and I think I do well enough already.  I’ll invite someone over that I know I can control yet should suffice in ticking this box.  Notice how so many of our human responses are self-centered?

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Throw all that out if you’re open to a different approach that takes the burden off your shoulders yet allows the Spirit to move as he wills.  And there it is: simply ask the Spirit to bring diverse people into your life from all walks of life.  The only work required is to pray about it and ask the Spirit to open your heart to recognize and invite when the opportunities arise to invite diversity to your table.  Just watch and see what happens, the rest of us will LOVE to hear the stories to come of what God did!  Remember our verse – Jesus came to call sinners, not the righteous.  Are you inviting them into your life too?

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Here are some Gospel and Spirit filters that may help us glorify and enjoy God with Luke’s words in 5:29-32.    

Gospel: How does the gospel apply to Luke 5:29-32?  Jesus died for all our past, current, and future sin because he bought us with a price on the cross (1 Cor. 6:19-20), so now we can seek to have community with all tongues, tribes, and nations since that will be our community on the New Earth! (Rev 7:9). How can we invite others into our lives in light of the priceless grace extended to us?  

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Spirit: What if we let the Spirit begin to shape how we see others and ourselves?  Have you ever asked the Spirit how he sees others, particularly the people you struggle with the most?  Ask him to bring diverse people and thought into your life. Ask the Creator of those diverse image bearers to train us in this work of seeing his creation as he does.  

Diverse and Creative Father, you are SO good to give us such diverse creation on Earth!  Help me to see your creation the way that you see it.  Spirit, bring diverse people into my life, and give me opportunities to invite them in. Show me what you think of those that I have the hardest time thinking about positively.  Train me to see others the way that you see them.  Spirit, if there’s anything you would like to share with me, I am listening...