The Feast is ready to begin

The kingdom of God is like a dinner party with a lot of guests and all of them with reputations. Or at least that is how one could look at it. If you think about the various people who are in this story: the Pharisee, Jesus and the “sinner” woman, they all have reputations that go ahead of them. Take the Pharisee in our Gospel story as an example (Luke 7.36-8.3). He had a reputation as being a man of great faith and of observing the Law. He did not want to be seen as someone who would not take a pilgrim in and feed him and so he invited Jesus and the Twelve to come and dine with him.  Hospitality for him and for a great many people in different places and spaces is a great honour and is important in spiritual matters for various reasons.

Enters in a woman who is known in the community to be a “public sinner” but we are not told what her particular sin is and why she is reviled by the Pharisee (and others). But whatever the sin and the circumstances around it, she is known as a public sinner.

Then there is Jesus himself. He has a reputation for being a prophet and a holy man. And as such Jesus, so the Pharisee thinks, should know a “sinner” when he sees one and should have the common sense to avoid such a person because it will muck up his reputation. It will leave him open to the charge that he allows sinners to touch him and that he eats and drinks with them. In reality, Jesus does identify with sinners. He cares about those who have fallen short and fallen away from God and he is here to bring them back. He has come to seek and to save that which is lost – God’s own people. God is visiting and redeeming his people.

The Pharisee thinks he is seeing something awful and believes that if Jesus were really as holy as his reputation says he is, he would know about this woman and not allow himself to be polluted and corrupted by her. This is important because as we noted last week, Jesus is not worried about what other people think. He is doing what needs to be done for the person who needs it. It is acts of grace and of love that set people free. And out of people acting to do for another in love, grows an attitude of gratitude. Because we have been loved with an everlasting love and shown mercy without limits and given forgiveness, our lives are being chained by God through Christ who lives in us. It is not I who live now but Christ in me.

And because in am being changed, how I deal with other people is changing. My attitudes of gratitude (thanksgiving) and fortitude (spiritual strength) grow has I know and receive the love and the grace that God gives me – my daily bread. I need to remind myself that there is not a person that I encounter for whom Christ did not give his life; for whom his blood was not shed. As Christians we need to see with new eyes the people around us. We need to see, really see, who God has given to us and learn to love and to serve them and love them as God does through his Son.

This woman, because of her act of devotion, the change of eyes and of heart leads her to being made whole. The woman’s response to hearing the good news has brought her salvation and she needs to get on with life now because it is different and it matters for an eternity her and ours not just for this minute.

How do you see the people around you? Can you see them, really see them, as God does? Can you see them and how much God loves them and can you serve them in the ways that Jesus is serving them? Can you see them at tale with you? Come and see and then go and tell. After all if not you, then who?  

I wrote a collect (short prayer) for this week too and I’ll finish with this: Have mercy O Lord, upon all those whom you call into your service and to reflect your likeness and glory: that we might faithfully reflect your love and offer your mercy through your Spirit. Through us, fill the places of your banquet table that all the world may come to rejoice and feast with the saints in light; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Jason+