Leading a Rebllion: Jesus Ate with Sinners

Leading a Rebellion: Jesus Ate with Sinners

Luke 5:27-32

Rebel: Anyone who goes against any control, authority, or tradition.

Introduction: When I began dating my beautiful wife…I feel a Dr. Doofenschmirtz back story coming on…I went on my first date with Rebekah on April 28^th 2006. She, however, did not go on her first date with me until two weeks later, so our first dates don’t line up. My first date had all of the awkward moments. She walked around the track at a Relay for Life event and occasionally blocked her eyes with her hands and said, “I can’t believe so and so saw me with you.” She asked out loud a few times, “Let’s see…who can I set you up with?” And then there was the kicker, “I can’t wait until I die.” I had my share of weird things, too. I knew I was on a date but I didn’t know from all of the confusing dialogue she was putting out there if she was on a date, and I didn’t know if I should buy her dinner, or if she was going to buy her own. So I let her buy her own dinner. But I remember thinking that night, “I am so lucky to be here with Rebekah. She could be anywhere else with anyone else, but she chose to be here with me.”

            Nothing says, “I accept you” like choosing to spend time with someone. Think about walking into a school cafeteria. You have your tray and as you scan the room you see three of your friends sitting at three different tables all waving for you to sit by them. It will probably mean a lot to the person you choose to sit next to. It will also probably hurt the feelings of the two you choose not to sit next to.

            Now flip the situation around. You are one of three people waving to a friend to come sit next to you. How are you going to feel if they choose you? How are you going to feel if they choose not to sit next to you?

            Next question: What if you were the stinky kid at school? You have dirty clothes, no friends, and always have to sit by yourself, when the most popular and friendliest guy or girl in school came out of the lunch line holding their tray, looks around the room, sees you and chooses to sit next to you? How would that make you feel? You’re an outcast, and someone who could spend time with anyone they wanted to, chose to spend time with you.

           

The Rebellion: Jesus had an earthly ministry of only three years. That means that He had a finite amount of time to spend with people. Actually, we all have a finite amount of time to spend with people. There is sand coming out of all of our hour glasses—some have more sand, some have less, but no one knows how much time we have to spend—and we’re either spending that time with people we want to, or people we don’t want to. When someone is choosing to spend time with you, they are intentionally choosing to spend time away from other people. I intentionally chose to spend time with Cody Berrian over dinner last week. In planning the get together, I knew that I was planning time away from my wife and kids. I had to decide, “At this point in time, is my time and energy more important at home with Rebekah and Caleb? Or with Cody?” Jesus was the Son of God. Think of how hard it was for me to schedule U.S. Representative Jeff Miller to come and spend an hour with us. Now times that by a gadjillion. Jesus could have spent time with whoever He wanted to. Imagine how it would have felt if He had chosen to spend time with you.

            In biblical times, there was no greater sign of acceptance than sharing a meal with someone. In fact it was actually illegal to share a meal with the “sinners” of their society—prostitutes, tax collectors, thieves, scoundrels. It ticked off the religious leaders of the day to no end when Jesus would talk to, eat with, and stay at a sinner’s house. One of the reasons was because it was not something that a good Jew would have done. It was embarrassing. Secondly, Jesus was a very important and popular figure. It would make you look really good if you could get Jesus at your house for dinner. The only problem was that Jesus kept eating with all of these sinners, prostitutes, and tax collectors. It made them angry. So they started coming up with excuses why they didn’t like Jesus    

            Tonight we’re going to read two stories of Jesus eating with sinners and one of Jesus eating with the Pharisees and we will compare and contrast the two events. It is important to note that just because we are only covering two stories of Jesus eating with sinners, it does not mean that Jesus only ate with sinners two times. One of the chief complaints against Jesus was that He fellowshipped with sinners. He did it often.

Scripture: Luke 5:27-32

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” ²⁸ And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.²⁹ And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. ³⁰ And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” ³¹ And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

            Some items of particular interest: 1) He was a tax collector. This meant that he was extremely rich, making money for the occupying Roman government off the backs of his own people. His income came from his ability to take more money from people than Rome required of them. 2) He threw a great feast, inviting all of his sinner friends to meet Jesus. 3) It made the Pharisees and the scribes grumble.

Scripture: Luke 19:1-10

            He entered Jericho and was passing through. ² And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. ³ And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. ⁴ So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. ⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. ⁷ And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” ⁸ And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” ⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

            Some items of particular interest: 1) Zacchaeus was also a dreaded and hated tax collector. 2) Even if you have never met Jesus, He knows who you are, what your name is, and where you currently are at all times. 3) Zacchaeus joyfully accepted the opportunity to host Jesus. 4) It made the religious leaders grumble. 5) Zacchaeus showed true signs of repentance, confirmed by Jesus when He said, “Today salvation has come to this house.”

Scripture: Luke 7:36-50

                One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, ³⁸ and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰ And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

            ⁴¹ “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” ⁴⁴ Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷ Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” ⁴⁸ And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹ Then those who were at table with him began to say among^[a] themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰ And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

            Some points of particular interest: 1) He was not eating with the “sinners” of society but the so called “righteous”. 2) These “righteous” people failed to follow accepted protocol for having a valued guest in their home. They failed to wash his feet (customary after a journey to clean the dirt off of your sandaled feet). They failed to anoint his head with fragrant oil. And they failed to greet Him with a kiss. In short, they were being intentionally rude to Jesus. A slight that did not go unnoticed. 3) Contrast this with the sinful woman who kissed Him, washed His feet, and anointed Him with fragrant oil. 4) Jesus pointed out the sins of His Pharisee hosts. 5) Jesus, and Jesus alone has the power to forgive you and to save you.

Application: Jesus’ earthly ministry was completed about 2,000 years ago when He died on the cross. He is not currently sharing meals with anybody, except in cheesy movies on TBN. But you can be Jesus to someone. I’m not saying to go out healing people, and forgiving people. I definitely wouldn’t recommend trying to walk on water without a life jacket on, but you can spend time with people who may need a friend. Talk to them about what Jesus has done in your life. Give them some hope in the future. Pray with them. Reach out to the outcasts just like Jesus would have done. When I say, “Think of the outcast at your school” I’m betting each of you has a particular person, or group of people in mind. My challenge to you is to engage that person or group. Start off slow. Say “Hi.” And then progress your relationship from there.