Mark 2:13-17
The Calling of Levi
13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.
15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Luke 19:1-8
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Luke 7:36-50
36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Too Busy to Eat
31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
There is much to say about eating together, especially with family...We learn manners, we can learn to be close and closer to our family...We learn what is going on with your family members, if we consistently eat together...And I personally think, as you are growing up, it makes a family more close knit, when they can regularly eat together as a family...Much can be said over a meal and much can be learned...
We often are so busy that we miss meals, and there is a story about Jesus and the Twelve being so busy they did not have a chance to eat...These things happen in life...
There are several stories of Jesus eating and dining with people...He was always the wise, humble dinner guest...Dining with Him was much, much more than just eating a meal...Around the tables that He would sit at were stories of life...He shared His great wisdom...He would tell sometimes about the inconsistencies of mankind and humanity...It was always real lesson in life to sit with Him and eat...It would exciting. -just to listen to what He might say next, while breaking bread, or over a piece of broiled fish...We learn much about life and man, just listening to the stories around His dinner table...
He did not always eat with the most savory of society, as He includes everyone as His neighbor...He ate with Pharisees, who were His opposition, but also with His friends...He also ate with large groups...We know He fed and ate with four thousand people, and had eaten with a larger group of five thousand...
Around the table where He reclined He was perfectly fine being with His opposition or being at the home of Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus...Jesus was always giving wisdom on life and humanity...He knows we need some transformation for us to reach our potential...Jesus sees all of our irrationalities and our flaws, yet around the table He ever so gently points them out...He is always trying to nudge us forward always wanting each of us to be better...Always giving us something deep to think about...
Jesus is our example...He is how we should lead our lives, not only around the table but everywhere...Jesus knows us so well...He sees everything that goes on in all of our lives...He sees all the issues we have and create for ourselves, and is always there to help each one of us...He is there to gently yoke us forward out of our inconsistencies, out of our irrationalities...He loved to eat with His neighbors and friends...And everyone is a neighbor to Him...Always teaching, always making us think about our personal lives -and how we are living them (in the context of His Father's Kingdom)...He is always leading, always trying to lead us to the Truth, to Himself with a lesson around a table, or wherever He sees fit...