Scripture: Luke 7:36-50
Dear Church,
A lot of people were too holy for Jesus.
People found plenty of things to dislike about Jesus, but his habit of sharing meals with people really triggered them. In all four gospels, critics accused Jesus of being a glutton, a drunkard, unrighteous and unworthy.
And they really didn’t like who he ate with. When the teachers of the law saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Mark 2:16)
Religious experts understood holiness as limited, something to be reserved for a sacred few. They expected the messiah to be too holy to eat at all, much less to eat with sinners and gentiles.
They were wrong.
Jesus had nothing more important to do than be with people. He wasn’t too busy. He wasn’t too holy. Sharing meals with people wasn’t a distraction from his ministry, that was his ministry.
Jesus made himself known to people over the breaking of the bread–he still does.
Peace,
Pastor Kate
Want to chat about what you have heard? Click here:
https://www.thegrovecharlotte.org/connect-with-us
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS