The Pharisee disapprovingly takes note that Jesus doesn't give His hands a ceremonial washing.
Jesus, in turn, begins to lay into the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. "Woe to you Pharisees..."
When the experts in the law complain that Jesus is insulting them also, Jesus turns His sights in their direction. "Woe to you experts in the law..."
I so want to cheer Jesus on. "You tell 'em, Jesus!" I'm even envious of His boldness. Who has the courage to accept a dinner invitation and then chastise the host? Only Jesus!
But then I realize that if Jesus came to my home for dinner, it would likely look the same for me as it did for that Pharisee.
If Jesus came over for dinner, I would ask one of my members to be the pit master for a genuine Texas barbecue.
I would then invite the members of the church and some of my fellow pastors to dine with the divine guest of honor.
We would all clear our calendars, put on our Sunday best, and show up early, eager to meet Jesus, share a meal with Him, and listen to His wisdom.
But during the course of the dinner, as Jesus listens to our conversations and looks into our hearts, He might say something like this.
Woe to you Lutherans!
- You love your traditions and ceremonies
- You pride yourself on your orthodoxy
- You exult in your achievements
- You venerate your heritage
- You idolize your church buildings
- You bemoan your shrinking numbers
- You criticize the culture
However,
- You fail to love one another
- You fail to love your neighbor as yourself
- You fail to seek first the reign of God
- You fail to grow in the grace of giving
- You fail to make disciples
- You fail to fear, love, and trust in God above all things
We at the dinner might be insulted by Jesus. We might be offended by Jesus. But we couldn't say we were misjudged by Him.
That's why I'm grateful that Jesus invites me to His place for a meal, where I receive forgiveness for my failures, salvation from my sins, and the grace that I need to move forward in a more God-pleasing way.
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