I wish...

I wish there was always space at our tables.  There always seemed to be space at Jesus’ table.  There was space for the lost at Jesus’ table. There was space for the seeking as well. And even space for those who didn’t realize they were lost.

It doesn’t seem that Jesus had the requirement of outward piety to be included for lunch.

Jesus invited Judas, of all people, to join Him and His closest friends at the table for the last supper. An intimate gathering where He, Jesus, would vulnerably share about His death to come and His desire to see them serve in humility as He modeled.

And He included Judas.

In case you are new to the story, Judas was soon to betray Jesus into the hands of those who wanted to kill Him. Judas would be the one to complete this deal. Judas has walked, lived, eaten, talked, and shared life with Jesus and the other men around the table for the past three years. In a sense he was planning to betray all of them.

And yet he was included.

Zacchaeus was so overwhelmed at Jesus including him he could hardly stop talking about how he was going to pay everyone back. 

Now I’m not speaking of the believer living in unrepentant sin- sexual or otherwise. Scripture is clear that we are to judge sin in the midst of our fellowship of believers. 

This seems to be another case of ‘one road, two ditches’, and a need for nuance. I introduced this idea in a previous post about National Coming Out Day, but it seems so applicable here as well.

The road is the welcome that Jesus shows to people, the way that something about Him drew all kinds of unsavory characters towards Him! 

The ditches are like this: First is the ditch of ‘no one is welcome until their actions look appropriate’. Second comes the ditch of ‘everyone is welcome and your actions never matter’.

Jesus walked the road well. Making space for people, loving people, accepting people where they were, but also holding out a standard of holiness.

I want to embody this same kind of welcome that Jesus does. I’ve been praying to be a “space creator” in the areas surrounding me.

I sat with a group of people recently when one person exclaimed with passion about behavior in Times Square on New Years Eve. A man wearing women’s clothes was shown on national television and this person could not wrap their mind around what was happening in our culture. It certainly brought about an interesting and awkward discussion as there was also in the room someone wrestling with gender dysphoria- though this was known only to myself. 

On another occasion I was visiting with a former summer staff member from the Christian camp where I work. This person remarked that at their church the previous Sunday a lesbian couple sat holding hands. He went on to say that he hoped his pastor would explain to them on their next visit that their behavior was not welcome there.

Jesus had strong words for the religious folk who didn’t understand that He came to care for the sick. All three gospels share the story of Jesus explaining that He had not come for those who don’t realize that they need a doctor.

Jeremiah tells his Old Testament audience that God is angered by the religious leaders treating His people’s wounds like they were not serious. They covered them over and did not get at the real issues.

I wish we, as the church, looked past peoples’ behavior and saw their deep needs, their wounds. I wish we saw image bearers looking back at us, fallen just like we are.

None of us deserve to be at the table. I do not deserve His grace and His saving me a place with Him. 

I think we often want church to be a sterile and safe place to raise our kids without the mess of the ‘commoners’ sin amongst us. (I’m a newcomer to Downton Abbey :)

It’s so terribly messy to be involved in the gritty details of peoples’ lives. It takes a lot of time. 

But, I believe, therein lies the heart of our Father in heaven.

We need to regain His heart for the lost. Realizing that they are indeed lost and separated from their creator. 

We need to introduce the people around us to the only One who can meet their needs, restore their hope, cleanse their sins, and then tell them “go and sin no more”. 

We need to repent of the judgmental spirit that demands people conform to our behavioral standards before we tell them about the Savior who is running towards them. 

I wish there was space at the table. I’m praying for us collectively to pull up some chairs and make room.