You’re Eating With Them? | Thursday – Week 4
Listen instead of reading
Take a Moment
Ask God what He wants to show you before reading today
Read The Daily
Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. (Luke 5:31)
I’ve been accused of many things in my life. Sometimes the accusations weren’t true, but sometimes they were. One of my favorites was when C3 was when we were just getting started. A friend of mine told me about another person bashing us because of clothes. I assumed it was because of what I would typically wear on Sundays, but turns out, it was actually what I wasn’t wearing. This lady told her that I did a whole message on a Sunday morning without wearing a shirt. My wife still loves that one, because she argues that seeing me with my shirt off would not attract anyone…ever!
Jesus was accused of “eating with sinners”. In Jesus’s culture, eating together held great significance. It was a statement of friendship, an affirmation of a person’s worth and value. Throughout His ministry, Jesus purposefully sat down at tables, sharing meals with people from all walks of life. He didn’t just teach, heal, and perform miracles; He also ate with others, including those considered outcasts by society.
One notable example is when Jesus called Matthew, a tax collector, to be His disciple. Tax collectors were despised in that era. They were seen as traitors who extorted money from their own people. Yet, Jesus didn’t hesitate to eat with Matthew and his fellow tax collectors and sinners. This caused great scandal among the religious leaders of the time.
When questioned about His choice of dining companions, Jesus responded by saying, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” In other words, Jesus came to show mercy and extend grace to those who needed it the most. He prioritized blessing people over religious rituals and sacrifices. He desired to connect with those who were considered outcasts and offer them hope and transformation.
Through simple acts of sharing meals, Jesus demonstrated God’s desire for mercy and compassion, reminding us that we should also seek to bless others through our meals. By extending hospitality, welcoming others to our tables, and enjoying fellowship, we can create an environment where people feel seen, valued, and loved.
Prayer for the Day
God what are you showing me? What am I going to do about it?
God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?
Make sure you complete the reading or comment today.
Read The New Testament In A Year
4 x 6 Plan | Read: Luke 23:26-49 & 2 Timothy 2:14-26