Welcoming The Stranger
Jesus’ invitation to his disciple, Matthew, where he tells him, “follow me” could also be seen as, “Matthew, come and eat with me.” The genesis of Matthew and Jesus’s relationship is actually around the table. In fact, Scripture says that, “many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples” (Matthew 9:9-13).
While everyone is eating, the Pharisees—these “religious” leaders—pull a few of the disciples aside and ask, “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.”
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. Just witness to people who look like you. 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 workplace, in your community—to everyone. To every fellow co-worker, to every person on your street, to all of the people in your context—regardless of their age, their gender, their ethnicity, their popularity, or their wealth.
Why would we do this?
Why would we risk our own popularity, social status, everything that we’ve built, that we’ve worked for, that we’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 we do that?
Because to make room at the table is to authentically apprentice under Jesus.
My friends, this all centers around the practice of hospitality.
Hospitality was one of the earliest distinctions that set the Church apart from the rest of culture. For hundreds of years, before churches became a building, the table was where the people of Jesus met.
In our fast-paced, hurried, full-schedule culture, how easy is it for the table to get missed in our lives? Before we know it, days have gone by before we realize that we haven’t communed with others over a meal.
But, please know: The practice of eating and drinking with others—of gathering around the table—is a central practice in the Kingdom of God.
What would it look like for us to be intentional about gathering around the table? Could the table serve as a catalyst in reclaiming the authentic community and connection that so many of us desire?
We won’t know until we try.
Start today!
Be encouraged.
