BLESS – Eat Together

Matthew 9:9-13

Several weeks ago we began a sermon series called “BLESS”.  It is based on Genesis 12:1-3 where God said to Abraham “I will bless you… in order that all nations will be blessed by you.”  When Jesus later said “Love God, Love Neighbor” it was another way of saying “thank God for how much He has blessed you, and make it your life work to bless those around you.”

We are loved by God….. so that we can love others.

We are reached  by God…. So that we can reach out to others.

We are saved by God… so that we can participate in the saving of others.

We are blessed by God…. So that we can be a blessing to others.

How can we love our neighbor? How can we bless our neighbor? How can we do that? We often feel so weak and unable to do so. This is the theme of our sermon series: BLESS

1. Begin with Prayer. 2. Listen with care 3. Eat together  4. Serve in Love  5. Share your story

Our theme this week is EATING. Eating together…..

When you think of Jesus and what he did on earth, what do you think of? Teaching, healing, dying on the cross…. But have you been aware of how many texts in the gospels have to do with Jesus eating with people?

• Feeding the 5,000 miraculously
• Enjoying the wedding feast in Cana and providing miraculous wine!
• Sharing the Passover (a last supper) with his disciples before he died
• Cooking fish for several of his disciples on the banks of Lake Galilee after the resurrection.
• Today’s text of attending a party of Matthew’s friends.

There are many texts with eating!

In our text for today, Matthew was so pleased to have been “called” by Jesus that it says “he followed”. He then calls all his friends together to celebrate and introduce them to Jesus. It wasn’t the elegant dinner party – it was most likely beer and bratts with chips on the side.  Jesus was criticized here for “eating with these sinners”.  

Of course, it’s not that some people were sinners…and some weren’t – “sinners” here refers to those who were openly involved in certain activities (prostitution, tax-collecting, common thievery, etc.) Jesus seems unconcerned with how he might be perceived. When he responds that “it’s the sick that need a doctor” he’s not really saying that Matthew and his friends are sick, while the religious teachers are healthy. He’s challenging them to live by the words of the Old Testament that they profess.  “God is more interested in mercy and compassion than He is in sacrifices and the keeping of religious rules.”

Jesus knows that eating with Matthew and his friends is the BEST way to reach out and bless them, to love them. Partying together is much better – and more fun – than judging others!

Who Do We Eat With?

• Sometimes I enjoy eating alone. Many people hate it. But usually I enjoy eating with others.
• My wife Andrea says that “happy family meals together” are her absolutely greatest joy and best memories – experiences to be treasured above all others.
• Have you ever noticed that we don’t eat with enemies. Why?  We seem to innately understand that eating is a sacred and wonderful thing. An act of thanksgiving and celebration. It’s almost impossible to do with people we don’t like.

Eating is not just a biological necessity, it is also a social and relational necessity.

Here is a quote I read recently:    “Sharing meals together on a regular basis is one of the most sacred practices we can engage in as believers. Missional hospitality is a tremendous opportunity to extend the kingdom of God. We can literally eat our way into the kingdom of God! If every Christian household regularly invited a stranger or a poor person into their home for a meal once a week, we would literally change the world by eating!”

Missional Eating – I like that phrase…

Obstacles to Eating Together

• I don’t have time (I barely eat with my own family)
• I don’t have time to clean the house
• I can’t cook

Yet, all of these can and should be able to be overcome if we really understood the sacred privilege and power of eating together.

I love that our church has a history of sharing lunch each Sunday!

• It requires a lot of work on someone’s part each Sunday
• Sometimes we’re uncomfortable about where to sit….or who to talk to.
• Yet, it’s a powerful and important part of our life together!

Conclusion:

Close your eyes with me. Think of our BLESS actions so far.

• Beginning with prayer… we tell God we’re available and that we desire to be instruments of blessing others.
• We make it a point to listen carefully and well to others. We really try to understand peoples’ world and situations before we start preaching or expressing opinions.
• And then thirdly, we seek opportunities to eat with people. Who might you eat with this week? Who might you invite over to your home for a meal?

Lord Jesus, help us this week to bless others, to love our neighbor, through eating together! Amen.

(The above is a summary of the message shared during worship on July 30, 2023.)