Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. Matthew 9:10This is one of my favorite images of Jesus because it is timeless.
Every day, we are confronted with our own demarcations about who are with us and who aren't. We encounter people saying who should eat with whom, who should speak with whom, who should look at whom. These confines can become quite ugly.
Jesus came to change all of that. In the earlier scriptures, there are many examples of God choosing seemingly unconventional people to carry out God's work, but that didn't seem to be enough for us. We, indeed, are stubborn. We needed a man to go from the comfort of his own home, his own friends, his own people, to the outcasts. We needed a living example.
But Jesus did not stop there. He revealed himself as our doctor, and he made sure we were ready to take on his mission. He fed us as his children before pushing us off the nest. He went to wherever we were so that we might know that he is always around us.
In this picture of Jesus sitting at a table with all those who were 'unworthy' according to the scholars of the time I find comfort. I am comforted because I know that Jesus will always be there for me. I am comforted because I know that Jesus is always ready for me.
Today's readings:
Genesis 23-24
Psalm 9:33-39 (10:12-18)
Proverbs 6:1-25
Matthew 9:9-31
Acts 12
No comments:
Post a Comment