Who's coming to dinner?

Opening & Intro

Back in the the days of the Bible the people you chose to eat with said a lot about who you were.

Main Point

Why Does it Matter

Scripture

Luke 5:27–32 NIV

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

27 - Who were tax collectors?

There are a few reasons for the low view of tax collectors in the New Testament era. First, no one likes to pay money to the government, especially when the government is an oppressive regime like the Roman Empire of the 1st century. Those who collected the taxes for such a government bore the brunt of much public displeasure. Second, the tax collectors in the Bible were Jews who were working for the hated Romans. These individuals were seen as turncoats, traitors to their own countrymen. Rather than fighting the Roman oppressors, the publicans were helping them—and enriching themselves at the expense of their fellow Jews. Third, it was common knowledge that the tax collectors cheated the people they collected from. By hook or by crook, they would collect more than required and keep the extra for themselves. Everyone just understood that was how it worked. The tax collector Zacchaeus, in his confession to the Lord, mentioned his past dishonesty (Luke 19:8). Fourth, because of their skimming off the top, the tax collectors were well-to-do. This further separated them from the lower classes, who resented the injustice of their having to support the publicans’ lavish lifestyle. The tax collectors, ostracized as they were from society, formed their own clique, further separating themselves from the rest of society. Jesus chose to PUBLICLY eat with these people.

He even chose one as one of his closest people. Matthew was a tax collector.

Matthew 9:9 NIV

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

Bonus information Matthew and Levi are the sae name. In the same was Paul and Saul are the same name. Matthew is the Greek translation and Levi is the Hebrew.

28 - Levi didn’t ponder or take days to think about it. He knew something was different about Jesus and when he saw that he was wanted by him he took his chance.

There is another story that went the other way.

Mark 10:17–22 NIV

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Levi obeyed. He showed no loyalty to money or the things of this world. Look at This rich young man who asked Jesus....

Explain - Idolatry.

29 - People will respond to authenticity. It has been that way since forever and it still that way today.

Jesus LOVED people. Agape. Real “I will die for you” love. When you are shown to be genuine and have a heart for others people will know.

What does a fake heart look like?

Not to steal Arnold’s thunder on James, but I believe that you are beyond chapter 2 now.

James 2:15–17 NIV

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

That is what an un-genuine heart and spirit looks like.

Here is another picture:

John 12:1–7 NIV

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.

When we are behaving like the authentic Church of Christ this will happen

Luke 5:29 NIV

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.

30 - To that other crowd of “Church goers” this doesn’t make sense to them. A large part of the Jewish faith up to this point has always been about being set apart. Being holy for God. It has been about trying to make the inherited original Sin “right with God”

Jesus, by eating with who he chose to eat with was setting up a new order of things.

They asked, WHY?

Why do you waste your time with THEM. In their heads, “If you were really the ‘Son of Man’ you would eat with us and see how awesome we are.”

That guy over there robbed me.

The problem is that no one is any better than anyone else.

One of the men that these pharisees celebrated all these years was David. And he didn’t exactly win any man of the year awards. What with sleeping with another man’s wife while he sent him off to war to die in the front lines.

Judging others by OWR standard DOES NOT WORK. ONLY by God’s standard can anyone be judged.

And news flash only God can wield that authority.

Application

31&32 - Could you imagine if every time you went to see the doctor or to the ER they were like WHAT!!!!! YOU ARE SICK???? GET OUT OF HERE!!!!!

I mean that kinda of did happen some with COVID but imagine every time.

Jesus was making the point that if people could be good enough to enter the presence of God on their own then they would not need to be waiting for a messiah. They would just be ready to stand before God.

But, if you are not ready to stand there, look what will happen.

Exodus 33:18–23 NIV

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

We need Jesus. He is the Doctor. He has the solution to our death problem.

So, why did he eat with the sinners. They needed to be with him. Was it easy? I doubt it. Jesus had a terrible reputation with the “religious crowd”. But we are told to do the same.

4 closing passages:

James 2:18–19 NIV

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Matthew 5:14–16 NIV

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 28:19–20 NIV

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

and

Matthew 22:37–40 NIV

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Closing

Dinner with Jesus changes our perspective and it SHOULD change who we are. THAT DAY Levi became the Disciple Matthew and eventually the Apostle Matthew and wrote a gospel account of Jesus. ALL BECAUSE he accepted an invitation to supper.

Just saying...