Jesus abandoned baptizing and instead sought out, welcomed, and dined with unprepared, unreformed, unwashed sinners. His action was a prophetic sign suiting his more radical message: here comes God now, ready or not! And seen against Jesus contemporary religious background, the presence of obviously unqualified diners was essential to his sign. Perhaps Isaiah's vision of a banquet for all nations inspired his choice: there, the prophet says, the pure and impure shall share one feast. Nevertheless such a dinner company was politically scandalous for a teacher, and many scholars today...judge that above all Jesus' actions it led to his death.
Our common life dare not hide Jesus' chosen sign, whatever the risk, or we will forfeit our apologetic for Christian faith in aworld where spiritual hunger and spiritual alternatives abound. How can we tell people today what we believe about Jesus, and yet keep his table fellowship in the way he distinctly refused to keep it? ( Rick Fabian, St Gregory, San Francisco )
All through the gospels we see the radical scandalous table fellowship Jesus lived out in his everyday life. The parable he told of the wealthy king that wanted to through an extravagant feast. So he sent his son out in to the neighborhood with a guest list and invitations in hand. Hours later he returned with the invitations and a list of excuses why the guests couldn't make it. Upset, the King sends his son out again...this time no list...just an order...bring anyone and everyone you can find. So the son heads out to the back alleys, ditches, gutters and skid row hotels, bringing anyone and everyone so his fathers table would be full.
Jesus ate with the righteous, the pious, the rich, the poor, the sick, the unloved, the tax collectors, sinners...he invited, and ate with the best and the worst of humanity. Even at his last supper, this profound mysterious meal with friends...where one would sell out his life for a few silver coins. We would like to think that the traitor would be excluded, grabbed by the ass of his pants and thrown out the front door.
But no...even he was invited.
Saturday we head down to the Mustard Seed...tables, food, conversation. There will be homeless, drug addicts, drunks, mentally ill, some who steal to support habits...and me, the Christian who likes to think he's got it together. Really...I'm sinner. But the beauty, the scandal...Jesus invites " ALL ". This table...redeems, restores and recreates humanity.
Post-mortum...an after thought...
I'm sitting almost a day after writing the above, and softly, quietly...that yet small voice, like a gentle wind..." who have you turned away from 'My' table, and who are those you are still turning away ". Shit !!!! ...
It is just the most beautiful scandal, isn't it...
Posted by: wilsonian | April 11, 2008 at 03:47 AM
Hey Erin, thanks for dropping by...it is beautifully scandalous. In humility we discover that we are no better than the person sitting next to us. This is the table at where the new covenant is made, where is the redemptive imagination of Jesus...relationship, and humanity is redeemed.
Posted by: ron | April 14, 2008 at 12:32 PM