Throwing Parties, Meeting Jesus

Zacchaeus and Matthew were both employed as Roman tax collectors.  These collectors would keep for themselves a generous commission as they enforced Roman tax laws upon their fellow citizens. This injustice led to great resentment and broken relationships as tax collectors were deeply hated. Yet, Jesus looked past their greedy occupations and saw them as wounded people with deep spiritual and relational needs. 

Jesus extended very personal invitations to each of these men. After encountering Zacchaeus, Jesus broke Jewish laws of social separation from sinners and invited himself to Zacchaeus’ house to share a table with him and his “sinner” friends.  

When he encountered Matthew, he invited him to become a follower and went to Matthew’s home to have dinner with many of Matthew’s tax collector friends.  This “Matthew party,” as some have named it, became a platform for Jesus to connect with lost souls on a social level and strike up spiritual conversations.  

These two encounters teach us that we can use social settings as bridge-building opportunities to introduce our friends to Jesus.

Take away:  What social interaction can you arrange to bridge the gap between your friends and Jesus?