Yesterday Levi decided to follow Jesus, invited his colleagues for supper with Jesus.  We saw all that meant for Levi, and today we see what it meant for his culture.

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.” – Luke 5:30-32 ESV

What Jesus says makes so much sense in theory. Of course Jesus came to heal broken people, including these kinds of extortioners who’ve sold out their nation.

But it’s so easy to forget that in practice.

The Pharisees don’t seem to think Jesus should be friends with those he intends to heal.  They act like he should keep a safe distance, perhaps as an aloof example of how good he is and how bad they are.   Perhaps if they change their ways, then they can be seen with him.

Christians can do the same.  Sometimes we’d rather give to a distant charity than help a neighbour.  We’d rather keep a safe distance from people’s issues, perhaps we worry about what people will think if they see us with certain kind person.

This is a problem since we see Jesus doing the opposite.  He goes right to people who don’t know him, and don’t act like him.  He goes right to the sick, and heals them.  The problem is Pharisees don’t see themselves as sick.

This is part of why we don’t advertise this as a Christian resource.  We’re not looking to be a resource just for those who already go to church, know Jesus, and like that kind of thing.

If that’s you, it’s okay, you can support and join our team in this work – get in touch with me.  What we’ll work on together is building a community of people that includes those who’d never show up at church to learn about Jesus.

It’s such people as that we exist for.  Now that’s a pretty familiar group.  It gets much more interesting when you consider what it’s like to serve prostitutes, drug addicts, and so on.  What does it look like for Jesus’ followers to sit down and have supper with them in a way that introduces them to Jesus?  We’ve included one fascinating example for you to watch here. 

Question: Why do you think the religious authorities, the Pharisees and scribes, react the way they do?  Have you ever reacted similarly?

Ryan Sim - October 2, 2013

Wednesday - Change It - Acquaintances to Partners

Won\'t You Be My Neighbour?

Yesterday we saw Jesus saying the way we treat a hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, or imprisoned person says something about our desire to join his kingdom. What is the consequence of this story? The story makes it clear that Jesus’ kingdom is based on generous sacrifice. Our motivation for compassion and care is not to be someone else noticing, or that we’ll get thanked, paid back or will otherwise benefit. It’s not even entirely about the other person’s benefit. It’s simply the right thing to do, and it’s the overflow of a relationship with God in Jesus. The deck-building neighbour I described on Monday was also married to a great neighbour. She was a nurse, and one day she came over to check on my wife, who’d fallen asleep laying on the grass resting from gardening. This was part of that nurse’s vocation, it’s not just a job to help people in need, it’s actually part of who she is, and what she is called to do. Christians have the same kind of vocation to love our neighbours, with friendship, words, and also our actions not because there’s something in it for us, but because it is who we are as citizens of the kingdom of God. Sometimes this isn’t as easy as checking on a friendly neighbour – not everyone finds visiting prisoners easy, it can be scary. Serving the thirsty can mean travelling places we’d rather not see. Helping those with no clothes can be awkward! But this is how Jesus challenges us to dispay kingdomliness. He calls us to overcome our fears, prejudices, anxiety for the sake of his kingdom and its values. Q: List the six needs Jesus wants his followers to meet: + The hungry + The thirsty + The stranger + The naked + The sick + The imprisoned. Who do you naturally have the most compassion for? Who do you find most challenging to show compassion for? Why? Remember, we meet for coffee every Wednesday night at Starbucks in the Chapters Store in Ajax, in Durham Region just East of Toronto. Maybe we'll see you there?

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