You Are Invited to Follow JesusSample

Who is Invited to Your Dinner Table?

In Renovation of the Heart, Dallas Willard describes the local Church as a spiritual hospital. A community where beautifully messy people who are both near and far from God can bring their fears, doubts, anger, and pride into the presence of Jesus. A place where people from all walks of life are welcome to come into the presence of the Great Physician to find healing and restoration for their souls.

Willard writes, "The local groups of disciples... will certainly have people at all stages of the journey. These groups can be compared to hospitals, with people at various stages of recovery and progress toward health. Some will be undergoing radical surgery or other strong treatment. Some will be in the ICU. Others will be taking their first wobbly steps after a lengthy time bed-ridden. And others will be showing the flush of health and steady strength as they get ready to resume their ordinary lives."

His picture of the local Church as a spiritual hospital reminds me of a scene that takes place around a dinner table:

"As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." (See Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭NRSV‬‬)

Reflecting on this text, I am struck by the diversity of people sitting around the dinner table at Matthew's house. "Sinners," "tax collectors," and "disciples" all come together around the same table because of Jesus.

But are all welcome at our dinner table? Are we willing to sit in the mess with people who are at "various stages of recovery?" How often do we see people who outwardly appear far from God and label them as sinners? Are we unknowingly requiring their sacrifice when Jesus wants to offer them mercy?