Luke 15: 1-2 Judged By the Company You Keep

Luke 15:1-2 Judged By The Company You Keep

[1] Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. [2] And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

What is happening in this scripture? – These lines were written in Luke preceding two parables, one about the shepherd who goes to find the one lost sheep and the woman who loses the one coin. Both find what they lost and rejoice and ask their friends to come celebrate with them. Jesus tells them the angels in heaven celebrate over the repentance of one person.
The Pharisees, those experts on the Torah, and scribes, the scholarly group who protected the recording and ritual of the law and the temple order, grumbled because this Jesus fellow was hospitable to sinners, friendly even, and then had the audacity to share meals with them. Sharing a meal in those days was extremely important. Who you ate with told the rest of the world who you were. And Jesus’ behaviors threatened to bring the unclean unpure into some type of acceptance.
What is the nature of a God who welcomes sinners and even shares meals with them?

How is this happening in the world today? - To me, if there were only a few lines we could use to describe Jesus’ ministry I think these would be the lines: he welcomes sinners and eats with them. Our Holy Communion meal is now a ritual of these first meals shared by Jesus with anyone who cared to join him. Food is life, and bread is life.
Breaking bread with others is sharing that life. Jesus, by welcoming sinners and eating with them was ushering in his kingdom, materially and spiritually. These were real behaviors, and real food was shared. But something so much more important was happening, and the Pharisees and Scribes knew it and were threatened by it. Jesus was telling the disenfranchised, the despicable, the poor, the lame, thieves, prostitutes, tax collectors, lepers, that they were welcome at his table, and in his life, and that God loved them just as much as he loved the temple elite. Jesus enacted God’s grace, unearned and undeserved. In fact, Jesus’ message was often that these were the people God favored, even more than the so called righteous.
When we share our wealth with those who have little, we are sharing communion. When we give others clothing, shelter, money, medical care, a listening ear, and a job opportunity, we are sharing communion. When we give someone marginalized, either by our economic system or by their own bad behaviors, we are sharing the body and blood of Christ. Jesus told us when we do this to the least in our culture, we are doing this to him.

How is this story my story? – Jesus, I want to come to your supper. I am thankful for your acceptance and invitation. I am so glad you choose to hang out with guys like me. Help me to make plenty of room for others at your table. Help me to share life with my brothers and sisters in your name. May it be so. -RSP