DINNER WITH JESUS

What qualifies one to have dinner with a powerful and popular person? Is it prestige? Money? War hero? Sports champion? Entertainer? A political figure? Perhaps any or all who have one or more of these media loved positions of influence and VIP status can get you a seat at the President of the Country's table, or certainly will keep you from standing in line at any restaurant. But making it to some one's dinner as an invited guest is a special privilege not many get in their lifetime. The phrase, "it's not what you know, it's who you know" is now updated and upgraded to, "it's not what you know or who you know, but who knows you." In the business world it is an accepted practice that many deals get done on the golf course, and often over a meal. Who you eat with says a lot about you. There's something that qualifies people to take the time to sit down and share this personal and yet fulfilling occasion with another. Very few people pass up a prepared meal, and still fewer pass up an already paid for meal. If our table partners are people we like, our fellowship feast is more relaxing and more often than not more palatable. But what does it say about us when we openly eat with the "thems" of the world?  How much of our trustworthy stock goes down when our dinner companions don't measure up to the community approved "good and acceptable" standards? Ex cons, prostitutes, pimps and crooks.

Today, after nearly thirty years of being in ministry leadership as a pastor, teacher and administrator, I have concluded something about myself, at least temporarily. Reflecting back and seeing inclement weather in recent moments of leadership life: one of my children is serving time in a state prison; He ran away from home at sixteen; I was removed from an administrative position as a result of an investment project that didn't go well. I am soon to be divorced after twenty eight years of marriage resulting in an untimely resignation from ministry. Having a little talk with myself and giving myself permission to share my recent discovery about myself, I boldly declare that I am a living bonafide crook. A white collar con man. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!! TRUST ME, (OK you can't trust a crook), bear with me. Your jewelry, money, stereo, big screen TV, car, and women are all safe. I'm not in the business of ripping off stuff or people, although a seemingly life long investigation is trying to prove otherwise. What I'm getting at is that in evaluating my ministry and life journey, I wish that I could have some decisions back. I wish that the appearance of evil, would have been more avoided. I wish that apologies would have been more timely. But the truth is it didn't go that way. Like a crook, it just seems like very few people remember anything good you've done. Thank God for the five people left in this world who don't mind eating with me still!! They are reflectors of Jesus.

"After this He went out and saw a man named Levi at His work collecting taxes. Jesus said, 'come along with me' and he did-- walked away from everything and went with Him. Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner. The Pharisees and their Religion Scholars came to His Disciples greatly offended.' What is He doing eating and drinking with crooks and sinners?' Jesus heard about it and spoke up. ' Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I'm here inviting outsiders, not insiders -- an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out'" Luke 5:27-32

It really disturbed the religious church goer, that those who did not know God were collecting taxes from them. This Roman rule was too much for the nation expecting the deliverance from economic and civil slavery by a Messiah. They were waiting and wanting to take over the world and put the Romans in their rightful place, under their feet!! So to pay taxes to this government just got under their skin. But what was more heinous and almost unforgivable was for a Jew to work for the Roman government as a tax collector!!! Treason and the utmost in betrayal was this employment seen among the chosen people of God. To have a key position and then help to advantage yourself financially was white collar con at its best. The self righteous Pharisees saw crooks. Jesus saw disciples.

It would have been easier to say that I'm a sinner saved by grace. That is the true but safe tag we give ourselves in the religious church going community. It keeps us tilted on the heaven side of the scale when we evaluate our works performance of the week. But how does one become a crook? Looking closer at Luke's narrative, we find that the crooks don't call themselves crooks. The Pharisees call them crooks. They are offended that those who they have placed in a lower spiritual position than themselves and only poison the church, are even at the dinner. They want to know why is Jesus eating with the very people they have been trying to keep out of the church, because by their measuring stick, these particular guest don't qualify to be near the front, or top of the ladder of respect and holiness. How dangerous for the church of God. If it's left up to those whose sins are greater but not seen, to label others who don't measure up as crooks, therefore disqualifying them for any hope of salvation, then God will not have a vibrant church to display the good news. Jesus' response is simply, those who need the doctor I'm here for, those who don't need one I can't help. The very ones pushed out are the very ones Jesus eats with.

While driving home recently from a church softball game, I humbly sensed that in some way I was on my way to Levi's house. There were times past I've been on the Pharisee side, wondering how can we vote to keep such lowlife and mistake ridden people just outside the walls of the church. Now it's feeling like I'm on the crook side of the table. I'm imagining a new assigned label, and wondering if  church is the place right now to fellowship. But thank God for friends who continue to minister to my family and me during this estranged part of the ministry journey. I'm grateful for prayers and support. I'm grateful for your presence, and your boldness to break bread with this side of the threshold of the church. So what are the qualifications to get a dinner date with Jesus? According to the Pharisees it turns out to be quite simple after all. You have to be a sinner and or a crook.