Make Room At The Table

I don’t think it’s a secret that we live in the most connected society ever.

At the snap of a finger, we can pull up—on our devices—a friend from Norway or China or India. In an instant, we can send a message of communication literally around the world. Our ability to connect and accessibility to the world has never been higher. Simply put, there’s never been more opportunities to be a witness to not just the world, but to those all around us.

With one message, one tweet, one snap, we could potentially have communicated with every single person in our immediate sphere. The potential for relationship has never been greater and yet, many of us are lonelier than ever.

How can that be?!

How can it be that we’re so connected and yet feel so alone?

Is there a way to break the cycle?

Is there an opportunity that we have before us? Is there something that we can do that will exemplify us as a disciple or follower of Jesus?!

There is…it’s to: Make room at the table.

In Matthew chapter 9, Jesus walks by this guy named Matthew who’s sitting in a Tax Collector’s booth.

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 (Matthew 9:9, NIV).

Now, here’s what you need to understand: Tax collectors were not only seen as notorious sinners and cheaters and swindlers, but they were also seen as collaborators or partners or allies with the Roman government who was oppressing the Jewish people. So, these were Jews who had essentially sold their souls to sworn enemy of their people so that they could cash in on a high-paying job.

And because of that, no one liked them.

And yet Jesus walks by this man and says, “Follow me.” And it says that Matthew got up and followed him.

Now, notice, the very next line, where Jesus and Matthew end up.

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples (Matthew 9:10, NIV, emphasis added).

Why would Jesus have immediately moved to the table with his new disciple, Matthew?

Because Jesus understood that to gain the trust, the authority and the respect to teach him the Way of Jesus, he had to build relational equity by allowing Matthew to get to know the Person of Jesus.

Jesus’ invitation, “follow me” could also be seen as, “Matthew, come and eat with me.”

And so Matthew and Jesus begin to gather around the table and it says that, “many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.”

While everyone is eating, the Pharisees—these “religious” leaders—pull a few of the disciples aside and say, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (v. 11).

In other words, why is your Rabbi, why is your leader eating with these people?! This isn’t right! This isn’t how we do it. This isn’t how the world works.

Doesn’t he understand the social structure? We all have our place. We all have our friends. We’re supposed to stick to them! We’re not supposed to go outside the bounds of our comfort zone.

Is it not the same for us?

If you’re popular, you’re not supposed to befriend the loner. If you’re a loner, you’re not supposed to invite others to your table. If you’re ugly, you don’t sit with the pretty people. If you’re pretty, you don’t sit with the ugly people. If you’re Black, you don’t sit with Hispanic people. If you’re White, you don’t sit with Asian people.

That’s not how the world works!

So they say.

And yet, Jesus makes it clear: Acts 1:8 – “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

He’s not saying, “hey, just befriend your fellow believers. Hey, just witness to people who look like you. Hey, just take care of the people you care about.”

NO! He’s saying you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea—in your city, in your community—to everyone.

To every fellow coworker, every server at the restaurant, every person in the grocery line—regardless of their gender, their ethnicity, their popularity, or their wealth.

Why would I do this?!

Why would I risk my own popularity, my own social status?

Why would I risk everything that I’ve built, that I’ve worked for, that I’ve gained—just to be ridiculed for befriending, “the tax collector or sinner”—the loser, the bully, the loner, the stoner, the LGTBQ+, the minority, the outcast?

Why would I do that?

Because to make room at the table is to authentically apprentice under Jesus.

Be encouraged.