Ever wondered what happens in the lifetime of your families dinner table? Research from the United Kingdom has discovered that the average dinner table will witness over 2,400 family meals, 100 roast dinners, 10 Christmas lunches, 132 arguments and 93 ‘bombshell’ in its lifetime. The interesting stats were revealed in a study looking into the eating habits and routines of 2,000 people. The typical table will also endure a 1,995 drink spills, 1,160 food stains
play host to 594 homework sessions. The average UK adult will complete 1,890 hours of admin or work on their dining table over their lifetime – the equivalent of 236 eight-hour work shifts. When sitting down to their evening meal Brits cover five different topics of conversation with film and TV the most common topic followed by general gossip then politics. On average, Brits sit down to their dinner at 6.24pm and will take one hour four minutes preparing their food - but just 10 minutes to actually clear their plate. The average dinner table will also see 1,101 meals go unfinished, 259 tantrums and people falling asleep 312 times. Nearly a third of those studied said that they often avoid the dining room table because it’s covered in papers or reminds them of work. More than half of those polled said they enjoy more conversation and find out more about their loved ones and how their days were at the table together than at any other time. Maybe that’s why nearly a quarter of people say the dinner table is the heart of their home, according to results.[1] As we read in Matthew 9:10-11
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
This morning we see Jesus has supper with sinners, and what Jesus does with the authority he has. How he uses it to call sinners with the power to forgive. At the home of Matthew the tax collector the newly recruited disciple Jesus sits down to eat with anyone Matthew cared to invite. We come closer to the heart of who Jesus cares most about. Please come back a few verses as we are reminded of Jesus power to forgive sins, verses 1-3.
Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
Having just travelled from the other side of the lake after having cast out the demons from the wild man no one could stop and sending them into a heard of pigs, Jesus is teaching in a house. The man on this mat has been lowered by his 4 mates down from the roof, because they were unable to enter the room with so many people in it. Seeing the faith of the 4 men who could only see their mates only hope for life changing joy was for Jesus to heal him. Jesus simply says to the man “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” So let us pause a second did you catch what Jesus does, are you stunned if we stopped the story here? Here this man comes seeking Christs compassion, longing for cure, and what does he get? “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Wasn’t the need of this man obvious to everyone? Thi is where we see what it is Jesus is doing we know how this ends up, and one thing we know about Jesus is that he is able to see what someone really needs. This is not always what they ask or want, as his discernment is always right. Here with this man who could barely lift his head, and who relied on his 4 mates to get anywhere. Jesus reflects his knowledge of this man’s particular need. It is possible there are particular sins that have contributed to his paralysis. A sin that possibly brought on a sickness that brought on his paralysis, as it is not always the case
but one thing we do know for certain here and what Jesus addresses is what Jesus knows about this man, and he needed forgiveness (his sins forgiven, his life made new, his slate wiped clean). That is what he needed the most, just like us ; just as when we are taught to pray by Jesus in the Lord’s prayer. “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those that sin against us. And lead us not into temptation.” That’s where we find ourselves facing who we really are. Only Jesus can forgive us our sins. As forgiveness is our greatest need and God’s highest achievement and what Jesus has done outrages the religious men who are there witnessing it all. Their outrage was over the audacity of Jesus. Jesus runs right for the heart of everything that was going on
God was up to something good. Verses 4-8
4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7 Then the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.
There was no mistaking it Jesus has the power to heal, as faith always responds to a revelation of a God who enters in. We see who Jesus is and what he does.
God does something! He saves, helps, keeps, loves, he is with us until the end.
His greatest desire is to deal with the heart issue that infects everyone of us
forgiveness is our deepest need. It is why Jesus will come straight to the point with a tax man, and Issues a call he couldn’t refuse and sit down at a table, have a meal with the people others thought weren’t worth the time, Verse 9 (The Message)
Passing along, Jesus saw a man at his work collecting taxes. His name was Matthew. Jesus said, “Come along with me.” Matthew stood up and followed him.
Matthew was a tax collector, and what is noticeable about him is that when Jesus is in his town, with everyone rushing out to see Jesus, Matthew continues to sit at his tax booth, taking the taxes for Rome. The Tax collectors were also known for adding some extra taxes that went straight into their own pockets as well. Tax collectors were hated as traitors not only by their own country men. They were seen as extortionists and thugs amongst the criminal class of people. It is as he is working away Jesus comes straight over to him
And simply says “Follow me”. We see the radical naturel of Jesus call. This thug of a tax collector, this man who by occupation was known for extorting his own country men and giving money to the Roman occupiers Is saved. We get to savor the call of Jesus and the grace of God that saves sinners like us, and we are reminded how the forgiveness of Jesus is able to shine the light into the darkest corner and bring to us mercy, forgiveness and hope. Here is the thing we can start again, be made clean by the forgiveness Jesus brings. Forgiveness is a courageous, clear-minded choice to be mercifully unfair. It doesn’t ignore what’s wrong. It doesn’t excuse what’s wrong. It doesn’t pretend that the person didn’t really mean it. It doesn’t say, “Oh, that’s OK,” when it wasn’t OK. It doesn’t just tolerate what’s wrong. Instead, recognizing I owe you, you forgive the debt.[2] As straight away Matthew gets up out of the booth, follows Jesus Matthew experiences the forgiveness of God by the work of God’s spirit through the call of Jesus to come and follow him; just like each one of us have done. So it is as Jesus sits down at that meal table, with everyone who was invited to come. All the teachers of the law and the religious men can see are people polite society should never mingle with. Verse 11
11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus reply comes back to the heart of why he’s here .Verse 12-13
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus is at a table eating a meal with those who were known for flagrantly breaking the moral law of God. These were people who didn’t live with any regard for what God was wanting for their lives. Here Jesus shines the light of his mercy to offer forgiveness and bring those who were far away near. All because they understand the need for God to do something that can only be described as miraculous to take that which is rotten and rebellious and filled with self-centred wilfulness and take it and forgive it. Which is exactly what Jesus does with our sins, we are not called to be religious, and we are called to live lives of obedience to God’s way and that all starts with Jesus forgiving us. We need forgiveness and power to change. We need Jesus. We need His redemptive and sustaining grace if we are to live.[3] Not that we suddenly then don’t need to know forgiveness ever again. Each day we’re reminded to seek God’s forgiveness in every part of our lives. Not only for ourselves but to also extend the same forgiveness we know we have from God towards those who we know have sinned against us.
Let’s pray…
David Hassan Tamworth Community Presbyterian Church 28/1/18
[1] https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/1873377/how-long-do-you-spend-at-your-dinner-table-new-research-shows-everything-our-dining-tables-witness-over-the-years/
[2] idea taken from David Powlinson “The constructive displeasure of mercy”. The Journal of Biblical Counseling • Fall 2006.p21.
[3] idea taken from Ed T Welch “Who are we!” The Journal of Biblical Counseling • Volume 13 • Number 1 • Fall 1994 p.26.