Who is watching who?

"On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely." - Luke 14:1

The great irony of Jesus sharing a meal with the Pharisee was that although he was being watched very carefully, Jesus was equally observant about their behaviour. This is why he asked them a very challenging question concerning the man who had dropsy (v.2-3). Matthew Henry comments on this verse by arguing:

"Even in the common actions of life, Christ marks what we do, not only in our religious assemblies, but at our tables." 

This challenges us to include Christ in all aspects of our lives and not just at the 'religious' moments in our communities. We may be able to fool some people during our religious moments, but we can't fool God when we live the rest of the week. 

"The one you are looking for is the one who is looking." - St. Francis of Assisi 

Living in Grace

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Jesus eats his way through the Gospels

Mark Glanville writes an interesting article where he reflects on how it seems that Jesus "eats his way through the Gospels." If you take a careful look at Luke's Gospel you will note the many times that Jesus is either heading to a meal, attending a meal or leaving from a dinner party.

It is Jesus' modis operandi in terms of sharing the Good News. He meets in the homes of all kinds of people, but food is not the main reason. The real reason is to get into their homes, so that he can speak into their hearts. Remember that Jesus was the one religious leader who didn't judge people for who they were - he saw what they could be and so he loved them all into the Kingdom.

Luke 7:34 - The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’

Jesus was accused of eating and drinking with all the 'wrong' people, yet he changed the lives of these people and they, in turn, became witnesses to his great leave.

Perhaps we need to recapture the art of being in the company of the broken, lost, unchurched and 'tax collectors.' What do you think?

Living in Grace
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