It takes time for many of us to accept this new identity and even longer to live into it. It may take some radical action from Jesus, or his followers, to open our eyes to the truth of it. One of his first disciples was a tax-collector named Levi (aka as Matthew). Jesus picked him to be one of the first “little Christs” to be sent out into the world. He entrusted the secrets of the kingdom of God to Matthew. After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, Matthew continued Jesus’ mission in the world, even writing down his version of the Jesus story (known as the gospel of Matthew).
Before any of this could happen, Jesus had to break through Levi’s distorted self-understanding and give him a new identity. It started when Jesus invited Levi to follow him. It continued when Jesus invited himself to Levi’s house for a party with Levi and his friends. Most of Levi’s friends were tax-collectors and other “sinners.” Tax-collectors and sinners were two categories of people that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day labelled and shunned as outcasts. When the religious leaders see Jesus eating and drinking (partying!) with such a low class of people, they are offended and demand an explanation.
In the ancient world, eating with someone was a sign of acceptance of the person with whom you were eating. To sit down and break bread with someone was to say, “I accept you into my group, family, or clan. I accept you as a friend.” When two enemies sat down to eat together it meant they were making peace. So when Jesus enters Levi’s house to eat and drink with sinners, he’s telling everyone in the house that had previously been rejected and excluded by the religious elite that they were no longer outcasts. He was changing their identity.
It’s like he was calling them “athletes” even though they were still out of shape.
This drove the religious leaders crazy.
Because Jesus accepted sinners at his table doesn’t mean he affirmed all of their behavior. His acceptance of sinners wasn’t an act of political correctness or benevolent tolerance. He believed that every person he ate with needed to make some changes in their lives to flourish as human beings. Acceptance wasn’t an affirmation of their behavior. It was an affirmation of their new identity that Jesus hoped they would live into as they changed their behavior.
When Jesus sat at the table with sinners, he was affirming their status as human beings created in the image of God. When he broke off a chunk of bread (gluten free of course) and handed it to the person next to him, he was was saying, “I don’t care what you did yesterday and I don’t care how you’ve been labelled and excluded by the so called “righteous” people around you. As you accept this bread from me I want you to know that you are accepted by God just as you are, for who you are, the child he loves.”
While Jesus’ accepted people with no strings attached, he did hope that being accepted, rather than excluded, would change their lives. He expected people who spent time with him to be transformed. What set him apart from other religious leaders of his day is that he didn’t try to transform them with judgement and condemnation, constantly reminding them that they weren’t measuring up.
Instead, he used love and acceptance to persuade everyone who sat at his table to discover and embrace their true identity, which would turn their lives upside down.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
Every time I am reminded about the calling of Matthew, I am forced to check my attitude and motivation. Do I look down on and complain about the “undesirable types” (like the Pharisees)? Or do I welcome and accept them (like Jesus)? Am I more concerned about sacrifice or mercy (Matthew 9:13)? Thanks for letting me share!