Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest : Part 10
Nourished by meals with the Messiah
Joel S. Heckendorf
Dinner for one? (Mark 2:13-17)
It’s a common movie scene: A lonely middle schooler sits by himself at a table in the cafeteria. “Cool” kids walk by and roll their eyes. “Mean” kids point and laugh. The “bully” comes and takes his dessert. But then, one day it all changes. The prettiest girl or the high school quarterback sits with the dork, and his life is changed forever.
Cafeterias aren’t just scary places for acne-ridden middle schoolers. Hungry college students, fearful of eating alone, roam the dorm halls before heading out asking, “Anybody want to go eat?” As adults, it can be embarrassing to tell the hostess, “Dinner for one.” Once in a while we’ll sneak a seat close to someone in a pub or restaurant, but as the “Piano Man” aptly sings, we’re simply “sharing a drink called loneliness.”
That’s what life was like for Levi. As a tax collector, he was surrounded by crowds, but he was used to saying, “Dinner for one.” An outcast to society. The black sheep of the family. A disgrace even to the little guy inside of him named “Conscience.” Levi had plenty of acquaintances but not many, if any, friends.
Then one day, it all changed. Someone better than the star quarterback visited his booth. Not to make fun of him. Not to scold him. But to invite him. “Follow me.”
“Follow me.” Were there any sweeter words to Levi’s ears? Every other time he heard those words, they were likely preceded by a “Don’t.” But not this time. Jesus, the miracle worker, the preacher, the doctor, invited him: “Follow me.”
No longer having to say, “Dinner for one,” Levi couldn’t wait to throw a dinner party for this One. After inviting all the other lonely, guilt-ridden sinners to his table, it no longer fazed Levi when the “cool” teachers of the law walked by with their sneers and snarky remarks. Better yet, it didn’t faze Jesus. When the spiritual leaders mocked, “Why are you sitting with them?” Jesus didn’t move. He knew the bad company needed his company. He knew the sick needed a doctor. He knew the sinners needed a Savior.
And he knows you need him. So he invites, “Follow me.”
No matter what’s in your past, no matter how many times your RSVP was no to Jesus, no matter how many times you’ve set your chair in your modern-day tax booth instead of at his feet, know this: Just like Jesus saw Levi, Jesus sees you. And he doesn’t roll his eyes. He invites, “Follow me.”
Having received Jesus’ invite through his Word, be like Levi and return the favor. “Come, Lord Jesus, be my guest.” Put out a spread and celebrate him and see how you are blessed by his gifts when you have a dinner for One.
Food for thought
- The call of Levi (also called Matthew) appears three times in thegospels (Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32). Compare the readings. What details do you appreciate from each account?Matthew – includes Jesus quoting the Old Testament, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Jesus is more about what’s in the heart than simply doing spiritual things for show.
Mark – knowing that Jesus was teaching a large crowd when he saw Levi is a great reminder that Jesus is never too busy to notice us. He goes out of his way to invite, “Follow me.” Mark also includes that Levi is the “son of Alphaeus,” which personalizes Levi.
Luke – Paints a wonderful picture of Levi’s response, “leaving everything” and hosting a “great banquet for Jesus.” What a beautiful picture of not being cheap in our gratitude for what Jesus has done for us.
- How have you acted like the “teachers of the law” in this account?Answers will vary. So much of our life is about comparison. For example, when we see people who we don’t think would be “good fits” at our congregation so we don’t invite them to worship like we may someone else, we could ask ourselves, “Do I think Jesus should only ‘eat’ with me?’
- How has Jesus invited you to follow him?He always invites us through his Word and through the Sacraments.Thinking of particular times when that has happened, we may give thanks for giving us Christian parents who brought us to a baptismal font where we heard Jesus say, “Follow me.”Maybe we heard Jesus’ voice to follow him through a neighbor who invited us to worship.Maybe it was through this article you just read in Forward in Christ. Jesus consistently invites, “Follow me.”
Contributing editor Joel Heckendorf is pastor at Immanuel, Greenville, Wisconsin.
This is the tenth article in a 11-part series that looks at Jesus as a mealtime guest and how he blessed his fellow diners—and us—with his living presence. Find the article and answers online after September 5 at wels.net/forwardinchrist.
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Author: Joel S. Heckendorf
Volume 105, Number 09
Issue: September 2018
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