Jesus Sets A Table | Liberty HealthShare

I’ve been thinking a lot about tables the last few days. Probably because of Thanksgiving and the memories that always hit of how much different Thanksgiving is now than it was when I was a child.

Jesus spent a lot of time around tables in His short three years of ministry. He modeled for us the notion that while we are not supposed to be “of” this world, we should be “in” this world and engage the people around us who have needs.

Too often we are content as Christians to avoid the very people that need to be at our table. Maybe it’s a neighbor, co-worker, family member, or someone you don’t even know. We may find their sin offensive, and it very well may be. Sin is a strong power in people’s lives, and many have turned the truth of God into lies. And yet, if we are not willing to converse with and interact with this culture outside of the four walls of our churches, there is a great chance many will never hear about or experience the love of Jesus.

When Jesus called Matthew to be one of His original disciples, He went home with him for a meal. Here is a reference that is found in Matthew 9:10-11 (NLT):

Later, Matthew invited Jesus and His disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?

Don’t ever allow yourself to get to the place that you look on people with this ungodly attitude. As Christ followers we are to emulate the love of Jesus. We are to love people enough to engage with them and even spend time with them. Jesus was often found outside of the religious community of His day. While He spent time with them, often around the table, He was not there to indulge in their sin but to love the sinners. He was there to confront and help people find a way out of their sinful lives.

I am praying that God will give you and I an attitude that is caring, compassionate, and Christlike.

Someone once said to their Pastor, "I notice that you never talk about people. You never talk badly about people. I'm wondering what's going on in your heart. How did you discipline yourself to NEVER speak negatively of other people, even people who are sometimes a pain?"

The pastor, with tears running down his cheeks, said...

• I fear Jesus in them.
• I fear that I would speak badly about someone made in the image of God, someone that is so valued by God that Jesus died for them.
• I fear that I would portray them as something less valuable than that.
• I fear how God would deal with a person who would betray the people made in His image.