Some Responses to the Unexpected Invitation...

Yesterday, we began to look at a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible where Jesus extends a seemingly unexpected invitation to someone who was far from God to follow Him. We talked about the fact that Jesus extends that same invitation to all of humanity to follow Him. And just as it was 2,000 years ago, people respond to Jesus' unexpected invitation in different ways. We see some of the reactions of those around Jesus to His seemingly unexpected invitation as the story continues:

Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. Matthew 9:10 NASB

Matthew, after receiving this unexpected invitation to follow Jesus as His disciple, invites other tax collectors and sinners over to his house for a dinner party to meet and hang out with Jesus. Matthew responded to Jesus unexpected invitation by providing an unexpected invitation for his tax collector and sinner friends to meet and hang out with Jesus.

And what is interesting is that they accepted the invitation. There was something about Jesus that made people who were far from God comfortable enough to hang out with Son of God. While Jesus never lived a life that was marked by selfishness and sin, people who were far from God felt comfortable enough to engage and interact with Him.

If you are a follower of Jesus, could the same be said of you? If you are a follower of Jesus, would people who are far from God feel comfortable engaging and interacting with you? So as Matthew’s house began to fill with those who were far from God, others were attracted to what was happening. We see this as the story continues:

When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?" Matthew 9:11 NASB

While the tax collectors and sinners were drawn to and felt comfortable hanging out with Jesus, there were others who were not quite as comfortable. Another group of people, called the Pharisees, responded to Jesus unexpected invitation by disengaging. And so often that is what religious people do, isn’t it?

As religious people so often do, the Pharisees viewed these tax collectors and sinners who were far from God as “unclean”, as "freaks". And just like religious people, the Pharisees would not enter into the house and engage those who were far from God; instead, they called Jesus disciples out of the house to ask why Jesus would consider associating with such people. “Why is your teacher hanging out with tax collectors and sinners? Doesn’t he know who they are? Doesn’t he know who that Matthew lives there? Doesn’t he know who he is?”

Jesus however, overhears the conversation and responds with a timeless reality when it comes to the Christmas story. We will look at that reality tomorrow.