Eating and Drinking with those who are far from God

Mark 2:13-17 (NLT) The Gospel of Mark Eating and Drinking with those who are far from God Introduction: If it’s your first time joining us - Welcome! We are dedicating this year to deepening our discipleship to Jesus. We are taking this next season to teach through the Gospel of Mark, using it, as Christians have done for centuries, as a template to understand in a deeper way who Jesus is and what it means to be his disciples. A few weeks ago we looked at Mark’s gospel being an invitation to discipleship to Jesus. An invitation to be with Jesus, to become like Jesus, and to do what Jesus did. That means then that as we walk through the Gospel of Mark we should be looking for rhythms, habits and disciplines of Jesus‘ life that we as disciples can follow. “My central claim is that we can become like Christ by doing one thing - by following him in the overall style of life he chose for himself. If we have faith in Christ, we must believe that he knew how to live. We can, through faith and grace become like Christ by practicing the types of activities he engaged in, by arranging our whole lives around the activities he himself practiced in order to remain constantly at home in the fellowship of his father. What activities did Jesus practice? Such things as solitude and silence, prayer, simple and sacrificial living, intense study and meditation upon God‘s word and God‘s ways, and service to others. Some of these will certainly be even more necessary to us than they were to him, because of our greater or different need… So, if we wish to follow Jesus Christ – and to walk in the easy yoke with him – we will have to accept his overall way of life as our way of life totally. Then, and only then, we may reasonably expect to know by experience how easy is the yoke and how light the burden.” - Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines This is a big focus of our studies through Mark - Learning the Rhythms of Jesus. Here in Mark 2 in the midst of Jesus continuous conflict with the religious leaders we have Jesus inviting “sinners” into his inner circle, and we find him eating and drinking with those who are very far from God. Let’s take a closer look at this story and see what we can learn about what it means to be followers and disciples of Jesus. 1. It all depends on how you see it… a. I’d like to suggest that there are 3 groups in this story and 3 ways to see and understand this story that can help our understanding. b. One way is to see it through the eyes of the religious leaders, the other to see it through the eyes of Levi, and the third is to see it through the eyes of disciples. You may find yourself in anyone of these groups this morning, I hope you do, and I hope that the Lord will speak to you through his word. 2. Through the Eyes of the Religious Leaders a. It’s important to remember the context in which Jesus is doing all of these healings, teachings and acts. Jesus has set the scene for all of this by declaring in Mark 1:15, that the Kingdom of God is here or breaking in. And we can clearly see that. Jesus is casting out demonic and unclean spirits delivering people from this demonic hold and power. He is healing many who are sick, and afflicted with various diseases. He is cleansing and restoring the social order to the sick, and those with various skin diseases that would have made them unclean and outcast from society. He has healed the paralytic declaring to him that his sins are forgiven. All of this and more is found in the prophets concerning the coming of the kingdom of God - (Quote Isaiah 35:5-6 "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.) Jesus is doing what the prophets said would happen when God’s kingdom broke in on the world - it would restore, heal and mend this broken world, it would make things whole and new. b. But you know what and who is not expected to be part of the righteous, glorious kingdom of God? - The unrighteous, those who have not kept up the strictness of the law, those whose lives look more like the pagan Gentiles than faithful Jews - In the kingdom of God, the wicked nations who followed idolatry would be judged, and the unfaithful Israelites along with them. And yet here in our story, Jesus is extending the kingdom to outsiders or what the religious leaders consider - Scum. c. You see, the tax collectors and those who worked the toll booths were considered traitors to the nation of Israel. They worked for king Herod (A gentile, not a Jew), and for the Roman government. Tax collectors and the like were seen to have actually joined in the oppression of their own people with the Roman rulers. It is commonly known, as in the famous story of Zacchaeus, that the tax collectors would exact more money than was required from their own people, to fill their own pockets and feed their own greed. These were individuals who were taking advantage of their nation, the weak and vulnerable. This is despicable - no way around it. Not only that but the religious elite would see these individuals as apostate Jews who were hindering the kingdom of God (Keeping the nation in exile) through their lack of religious observance, and their alliance with the gentile oppressors (No wonder they were so hated) In the religious leaders minds it’s their fault that Israel is still in exile, it’s their sin, their lack of zeal, that is ruining their culture, their hold on the land, and future stake in the kingdom of God. d. So now we can see where the big offense comes in. How could Jesus, this incredible Rabbi, heralder of the kingdom of God, and miraculous healer, eat and drink with these people? They’re traitors, their oppressors, they’re scum. We should all be able to sympathize with how the religious leaders feel e. Or Maybe that doesn’t seem like a big deal to us - but eating and drinking with people was a very intimate thing in the ancient world - it was a sign of closeness and deep association. It’s as if Jesus is totally condoning their lifestyle, choices and behavior f. The religious leaders are greatly stumbled, and ask Jesus’ disciples, Why does this man eat with such scum?? - the shock and horror g. There is an Rabbinic interpretation of Torah (the first 5 books of the Bible), called the Mishnah.. In it is a reference to this kind of thinking it says - “Keep thee far from an evil neighbor and consort not with the wicked and lose not belief in retribution… (M'abot 1:7) another interpretation of this kind of sentiment went something like this “Let not man ever associate with a wicked person, not even for the purpose of bringing him near to the Torah.” (Mekilta Amalek 3.55-57) h. But what is Jesus doing? Some modern people would identify Jesus as turning over the tables here - he’s sticking it to the religious leaders - Our culture is currently all about deconstructing and tearing down tradition in the name of authenticity and truth. And though Jesus is authentic and truthful - this is not what he is doing… in fact those who try to make Jesus their pet or mascot for defying every tradition and deconstructing everything around them should reread the Scriptures and the life of Jesus - (I think sometimes we attribute way too much of the American individualistic spirit to the life and career of Jesus.) i. Yes, of course Jesus upset the religious leaders, and their strict interpretation of the law of Moses, but not because he was a progressive, or a revolutionary (Or at least in the way we use those terms today) But in fact it was because Jesus was recalling something ancient and rooted in the narrative of scripture - And that was the heart of God - To bring back Israel to himself, to go after the lost sheep of house of Israel. i. The Psalmist said, “Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.” - Psalm 142:1-6 j. Had they forgotten that YHWH is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving sin and iniquity to the third and fourth generation, but who will by no means clear the guilty and unrepentant? The prophet Isaiah declared that when the Lord returned to Israel he would gather his people together along with even the outcasts of Israel. k. In a passage about the restoration of Israel from Exile, God says through the Prophet, “The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.” - Isaiah 56:1-8 l. I love this! Who is YHWH? He is the one who gathers the outcasts of Israel. Our God is the one who makes outsiders, indiders; the lost, found; The sick, whole, the sinners into saints i. THIS IS WHAT JESUS IS DOING HERE - HE IS SEEKING OUT, AND LOVING ON HUMAN BEINGS WHO ARE FAR FAR AWAY FROM THE GOD WHO CREATED THEM AND LOVES THEM. 3. Through the Eyes of Levi a. It’s good to think about what the modern equivalent of an ancient tax collector would be? One commentator related it to a meter maid. You know those guys and girls that go around town, mercilessly giving tickets out to us innocent people that were only grabbing a quick cup of coffee, or were only going to b. c. d. e. be one quick second and didn’t think it mattered.. "I didn’t think my lunch would go this long”…it’s not my fault! I have spent a lot of time downtown in this city and there isn’t a human being I have seen more berated and verbally abused than the meter maids - I have seen them chased down, punched, screamed at, flipped off, cussed out - It’s almost like others have forgotten that they’re human beings, just doing their job.. I imagine that this is probably close to what Levi must have felt like day after day exacting a toll for a government that everyone hated and wanted overthrown (think of how our own country acts when it feels that is rights or freedoms as are being threatened or infringed upon - people get violent!) Think of the names he would have been called, think of how he would have been treated, day after day, after day. Until one day along comes this new to town Rabbi, that everyone is talking about - who’s been announcing God’s kingdom and then doing powerful acts and signs to show that God’s kingdom is actually breaking in. All of a sudden He walks up to Levi’s booth and says these words… Come follow me…. He didn’t shout, he didn’t swear, he didn’t grumble or criticize, He did something totally unexpected - he offered Levi an invitation to his person and inner circle This might have been the first time in ages that someone has treated him like a human instead of a piece of trash. (Who are the people in our modern society that are treated this way? Who do people consider to be those who are ruining our country, society, city, or our morals, our way of life and future?….the right, the left, Big corporations, sexual deviants, homeless, refugees and immigrants and the list goes on.) In the very next scene we find Jesus at a party, a celebration of sorts, with these people - There are many tax collectors and sinners there and they are now followers of Jesus! i. Why a party? The Great Feast of God.. the highways and hedges - come to the feast.. (The wedding feast) f. When Jesus is questioned and criticized for the company he keeps - he responds - I’m a doctor, and doctors spend their time with the sick, not the healthy. (Maybe disciples should be identifying ourselves as spiritual advice nurses? - pointing people to the Doctor) g. “Jesus was being obedient to a calling, and that calling was to be a kind of doctor. There’s no point in the doctor only keeping company with healthy people (How have we come to see the church this way??) The Doctor must associate with the sick. Jesus’ whole ministry was to bring health, not just to the physically sick, but to Israel as a whole and the whole world as a whole. That however, would involve upsetting a lot of people for whom it was more comfortable to label people as ‘outcasts’ and ignore them from then on…” - N.T. Wright, Mark For Everyone 4. Through the Eyes of the Disciple a. We have been reiterating that Mark’s Gospel is about discipleship to Jesus. It’s about learning to follow him in his overall way of life in order to be like him. b. Now in this passage when we see Jesus going after sinners, inviting them into his company, keeping company with the sick, and those considered outcasts from society - This is both a call and challenge to us. c. Jesus regularly ate and drank with those who were far from God. Do we? d. Somehow Jesus was able to be with people who were very far from God - meaning - his own holiness or goodness, drew people rather than repelled them!! There was nothing “holier than thou” about Jesus. Those far from God were attracted to him. e. How did he do this?? At the same time Jesus was not affected, or colonized, by the evil around him - he made the filthy clean, he made darkness light, he made brokenness whole.. Teach us, O Lord!! f. By the end of this story we see that Levi, the outsider, has been brought into Jesus inner circle. The religious leaders who claim to know and be near to God are outside of the celebration and Jesus’ circle, even resisting the work of God. Lastly, Disciples, as apprentices and followers of Jesus are being called to join Jesus in bringing outsiders and outcasts in to be fellow disciples of Jesus. g. So in light of that: i. Do we treat sinners and social outcasts the way Jesus does? ii. How do we treat the spiritually sick? Like a disease that will infect us? A stain on our reputation and the reputation of the Gospel, people waiting to be judged Or people to be loved? iii. “Making disciples is a matter of drawing people in by who we are. You can’t push this. A disciple is so ravished by Jesus and life in the Kingdom of God that they want to become like him.” - Dallas Willard iv. Many times the way we view outsiders is that they need to get right before coming to God, clean themselves up in order to be presentable but this is not the pattern we see with Jesus. v. “The act of Jesus was to reverse this structure: communion first, conversion second. His table fellowship with sinners implied no acquiescence in their sins, for the gratuity of the reign of God cancelled none of it’s demands. But in a world in which sinners stood inescapably condemned, Jesus’ openness to them was irresistible. Contact triggered repentance; conversion flowered from communion. In this tense little world of ancient Palestine, where religious meanings were the warp and woof of the social order, this was a potent phenomenon.” - Ben Meyer, The Aims of Jesus h. As followers of Jesus our heart should be to build that same presence and culture of grace in our homes and churches, that is present in Jesus. Where people who are far from God feel welcome and accepted and yet confronted with the reality of God’s grace and good news in light of their sin and failings. i. Ray Ortlund Jr says, the Church is where people should find lots of gospel, lots of safety, and lots of time. People need: i. Multiple exposures to the happy news of the gospel from one end of the Bible to the other. That there is forgiveness, hope, healing, peace, security, joy, and steadfast love in Jesus for any and all who will simply trust him. ii. The safety of non-accusing sympathy so that they can admit their problems honestly; and (this is where the humility and the security that the gospel gives us become essential) iii. Enough time to rethink their lives at a deep level, because people are complex and changing is not easy, but it is possible by the power of the Holy Spirit.. iv. Can we like Jesus offer this invitation to the Levi’s of this world? Will we extend our hospitality to those who are far from God, Like Jesus did? j. When the grace of Jesus Christ defines both the doctrine and the culture of God’s people, Sinners, outsiders feel welcome, and they can safely confess and forsake sin. Even “extreme” sinners find themselves wonderfully forgiven and freed. - the goal is not to make the church safe for sin; it’s to make it safe for confession and repentance. k. As disciples of Jesus we are called to follow in his steps - to alert the Levis and outcasts of this world to the kingdom of God, by inviting them into our own lives - Will we respond to this call?