Jesus’s open table policy!

Reflecting on Luke 7:36-50

"He went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table." (Luke 7:36)

This scene is comforting, challenging and compelling. Jesus does not separate between the religious and the irreligious. He eats with the Pharisees, and with tax collectors and sinners. He comes to seek and to save the lost, and both are lost. To be lost doesn’t mean eternally condemned, but going the wrong way. All we like sheep have gone astray, we are not on the right path. This applies equally to people of all groups. A Pharisee was someone who lived a ‘righteous’ life. This woman who appears was known to live a ‘sinful’ life. I am curious to know whose point of view this was. Was this God’s assessment, or was this the Pharisees perspective. From their point of view, everyone who wasn’t a Pharisee lived a sinful life. They had their long list of rules by which they measured people. Their rules were specific interpretations of the 10 commandments. Those who observed the sabbath the way they did. Those who spoke the truth like they did. Those who were morally and sexually pure like they were. Those who avoided sinners like they did. I have no doubt this woman did live a sinful life. But I don’t accept the Pharisees understanding of her sin. The same is true today; all people are sinners. But the church’s understanding of their sin is not the same as God’s. Nor is the church’s understanding of its own rightness. God in Jesus knows we all live sinful lives in our own unique way. Jesus shows us that God does not separate between the religious and the irreligious. I am comforted by the fact that Jesus comes to me, and eats with me. I am also encouraged by the fact that He does so with others too. Like Conservatives, Liberals, Muslims, Hindus, Baptists, Pentecostals, United. Like affirming Christians, and non-affirming Christians. Like woke Christians (liberals?) and sleeping Christians (conservatives?). We continue to divide the world into our IN and OUT groups. But Jesus comes to the table with everyone and anyone. And what does He look for… the rest of the story tells us the answer. I am convicted and challenged by His gracious openness to all people. Even though I consider myself welcoming, I have my own list of ‘sinners’. For me personally, I struggle with conservative, evangelical Christianity. Many in this group seem to me the parallel to the Pharisees of Jesus’s day. In my experience, many are fully convinced of their rightness. And they are also certain of who is wrong, immoral, and not living God’s way. I should be clear, there are many who are NOT like this too. But often the ones I experience are more like Pharisees than like Jesus. Even so, God does not judge them by my list of right and wrong. God in Jesus knows their hearts, both their sincerity and their confusion. He knows they don’t know what they’re doing, and forgives them also. I need to be more gracious to them, as I want to be to other ‘sinners’. Jesus is compelling and calling me to seek out such ‘sinners’, not avoid them. I don’t have to agree with them, but neither do I need to correct them. Just eat with them, love them without judging and accusing them. Let grace and kindness soften their hearts and open their eyes, if possible. I won’t win them over by fighting or arguing or criticizing them. Nor am I helping them by thinking that I am right, and they are wrong. This is the same thing I dislike about them, so I should not do it to them. I am not right, and they are not right; only Jesus is right. Jesus welcomes them to the table, and He welcomes me too – by grace alone. Jesus is prompting me to welcome everyone to His table – by grace alone.

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me not to exclude anyone from Your table. Anyone who wants to come is welcome, by grace alone. It is gracious love that welcomes us, heals us, helps us, corrects us, and leads us in the way of gracious love.