This week we’ve been exploring the story of Levi meeting Jesus, and having a big party with his former partners in crime, now his friends.  Jesus’s transformative effect brings Levi’s colleagues into a new friendship with Levi first, then that friendship brings his friends into contact with Jesus.

It’s no different today, this is very reason we held an outdoor movie night.  We brought a bunch of people together over a great feast of popcorn.  Our online users met one another, and made some new friends.

This app and web site is meant to be more than a transaction, more than something to watch/listen to.  It’s meant to bring us into community.  It’s meant to be made up of real people, in real community with one another.

Obviously movie nights and apps are large scale.  But it depends on the small scale.  It depends on people like you.  You can be a Levi.

At parties, people mingle and meet, and often discover things in common.

So, have some people over to dinner, see what happens.  It doesn’t have to be fancy. Or maybe have a hockey watching party, a playdate, a block party, whatever your scene is.

Through that kind of party, I hope you and some people you know and work with, or have helped, will become friends, and friends can talk about what really matters.  When followers of Jesus are present in the room and real deep things of life come up, I think that’s when Jesus enters the conversation, just like at Levi’s table.

When he throws a great feast, his partners in crime learn the money grubbing tax collector actually isn’t driven by money anymore, but now he’s driven by love for Jesus, which makes him love them.  Imagine the transformative effect on their lives.  More than that, they just met a Jewish rabbi who will actually eat and drink with them, get to know them, love them, despite the risks, rather than standing outside and shaking his head.

So, go and show your neighbours the same!  Learn their names, stories, needs, and then become friends.

Challenge: Plan a party, big or small!  Please tell me the story, I’d love to hear how it goes.

Ryan Sim - October 8, 2013

Tuesday - Study It - Partners To Friends

Today we’ll explore the story of a time Jesus became friends with someone unexpected: After this Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. 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. - Luke 5:27-29 ESV Tax collectors were collaborators with the oppressive Roman government. They were known for taking some off the top, or extorting and pocketing extra taxes from people. People like that are usually careful about who they associate with. They get to positions of power through taking advantage of others, by being crafty and independent, or using people for profit. But there is something about Levi’s encounter with Jesus that changes all that. After meeting Jesus, Levi has his coworkers over to dinner. All the other collaborators and extortioners come to his place. He knows what they’re like, maybe they will steal. Or will they see some of his belongings, or family members, and use it against him in blackmail and extortion? Why would he put himself at risk like that? Because they suddenly matter to him more than just partners at work. Because of Jesus, now they’re friends. Not just obstacles or opportunities. They are people he can feed and host. The passage says Levi left everything and followed Jesus. It clearly doesn’t refer to all his material possessions – he still has a house and means to throw a big feast. This saying represents a spiritual about-face as he leaves behind his old way of life. Research shows that vulnerability is key to friendships. Levi does this, he leaves himself dangerously open to dangerous people. He has them over and shares a meal with them. This was even more significant in this culture – table fellowship indicated you were on the same page spiritually with others. You broke bread together, and legally became a religious fellowship. Jews didn’t eat with non-Jews, for that reason. Levi is Jewish, as is Jesus, but Levi is a Roman collaborator who would be dealing with non-Jews all the time, and regularly breaking the law by extorting fees from Jewish brothers. We’ll learn more tomorrow about how people reacted. Question: Why do you think Levi invites his co-workers over to supper with Jesus? What’s he doing for them, for himself, and for Jesus?

From Series: "Won't You Be My Neighbour?"

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