Be Our Guest
Scripture References
Hosea 5:15 – 6:6
Punishment Coming for Israel and Judah
15 I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me.
1 “Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. 3 Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.” 4 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away. 5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light. 6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Romans 4:13-25
The Promise Realized Through Faith
13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead ( since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Matthew 9:9-13
Jesus Calls Matthew
9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Be Our Guest
If your home is like ours, you might agree there is something magnetic about the kitchen. When we have guests and even when we don’t, this is where we are drawn. Sure, where the aroma of food is one will gather… but it’s more than just a place to eat… it’s the heart of our home, where laughter echoes, stories are shared, and where we find comfort in one another’s presence. Whether it’s something on television, a shared meal, or a late-night conversation, the kitchen area becomes a place to pause, a space where our family life seems to be anchored.
As special as this is, there is something even more… the kitchen is also a place we commonly invite another guest. Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is where we most often bow our heads to extend an invitation to Him in prayer… “come Lord Jesus be our guest” … and He does… He willingly accepts that invitation… Have you ever stopped to think…What if…? What if He would physically sit down and take part in our conversation, our laughter, our tears…
On this Second Sunday after Pentecost, we are inviting Jesus to be our guest.
Jesus At Our Table
The scripture readings we heard a few moments ago, challenge us to examine our faith and draw us to reflect on what it truly means to welcome Jesus as our guest and how His presence transforms not only our conversation, but our lives. With Jesus at our table, we are reminded that He welcomes us as we are… broken or whole… imperfect, or in need of nourishment.
In our Gospel lesson for today we take a seat at this table… This setting in chapter 9, Matthew shares a story where he finds himself called by Jesus to follow Him. The next thing you know, Jesus is reclined as Matthew’s guest… right there at his kitchen table amongst some other questionable visitors… yes, more tax Collectors and sinners.
Tax Collectors And Other Sinners
Now a tax collector during this time in the region of Galilee was not a very popular individual. These tax collectors were Jew’s, hired under the authority of Herod Antipas to collect sales tax on commerce. Implemented when it changed hands as it passed by toll booths in towns such as Capernaum. As I mentioned, these were Jews, collecting taxes from their own people. These taxes thus found their way to Rome, which ultimately funded the Roman dominance of Israel. In essence, the Jewish people were paying their oppressors to oppress them… making tax collectors social outcasts and hated traitors. Not only that, but they also had a reputation of being corrupt, often extorting extra money to keep for themselves.
Now, the “other sinners” mentioned in verse 11 would more than likely have been people who did not adhere to the Torah in one way or another.
That makes the whole dinner party at Matthews house one big bunch of “sinners” and seen as ritually impure.
Jesus Accepts Our Invitation
Jesus was fully aware of this situation. In fact, when He was asked to “Be my guest…”, as you already know, He willingly accepts… and the Pharisees start flipping out. They say to the disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” They could not understand why Jesus would accept an invitation to dine with such people.
Rags
This reminds me of a story I read about not long ago. A pastor who was called to a new church wanted to make a bold point on his first day. So, he dressed up in rags and wandered around the outside of the building 30 minutes prior to service, asking for spare change to buy food. As the story is told of this large congregation, no one give him money and only three people said hello to him. As the service was about to begin, he wandered in and sat down in the front pew… where the ushers quickly advised him to move to the back.
A vast majority of those in attendance did not want this person in rags to dine at their table. You have probably heard this story, but as he revealed who he was, that demonstration give him a great segway into the message he prepared that mirrored the Pharisees sentiment towards Jesus. They too failed to see who Jesus is and recognize that mercy and grace is the central point of God’s work.
This pastor might have shared Jesus’ words Matthew wrote about in verse 12 as He addressed the Pharisees, Jesus says… “Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick do.” In Matthews Gospel, these Pharisees were so wrapped up in their self-righteousness and Old Testament laws, that they did not see the lesson of mercy and grace. They failed to open their hearts to the outcasts of society and acknowledge that they too need a master physician…
Would we have this same perception of someone in rags? Would we extend our dinner invitation to those tax collectors, thieves, prostitutes, or anyone else who is spiritually unclean? The Pharisees and you and I as well need to look around the table and ask… “Are my sins any better or worse?” As Christians we know the short answer is no…
Called By Jesus
That’s why Jesus come into this world to call all sinners. Call them why…? To call them… you, and I…to repentance… for everyone in the kitchen to take their sins and violations of God’s Word seriously and repent… inviting us to receive the grace and mercy of God who alone forgives… calling us to Himself who by His holy, precious blood and by His innocent suffering and death fully and completely pay for our sins… to call us now to leave our life of sin and to live a new life as His disciple.
This was the purpose and task of Jesus accepting the invitation to be Matthew’s guest. And every invitation since then when we ask Jesus to be our guest. This is what the Christian faith is all about. This is what the mission of Christs body, the Church, is to be…
To call sinners to repentance and heal sin-sick and dying souls… as we appear before Him, in rags or not. This is what we are expected to do in our relationship with Jesus. An invitation to “acknowledge our guilt and seek His face…” as the prophet Hosea declares in verse 15 of chapter 5 in today’s Old Testament reading.
Come Lord Jesus, Be Our Guest
Speaking of which Hosea goes on to say in chapters 6, verse 6 that God pleads with His people to return… not just with rituals, but with hearts that seek Him. He says, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” Just another reminder that when Jesus is at our table, He is not concerned with appearances or ceremonies, but with a genuine relationship. He wants hearts that turn toward Him, that seek to know Him, sharing that grace with others. Having Jesus as our guest means prioritizing love and mercy over mere tradition. Something the world and the Pharisees cannot understand.
That is why we pray… Come Lord Jesus be our guest… Having Jesus at our table changes how we see ourselves and others. We then can move from judgment to mercy, from tradition to relationship, and from doubt to faith. Jesus does not just dine with the righteous; He sits with sinners, with the broken, with those that can’t find their way. Our lives… our kitchen table so to speak… serve as places of healing and hope, places where God’s promises are remembered and lived out. Through faith.
Jesus Is At Our Table
Paul expands on this with his letter to the Romans in the Epistle lesson.
In chapter 4 he points to Abraham, a man who believed God’s promise and was counted as righteous because of his faith.
We too, like Abraham, are called to believe, not just in what we see, but in the One who sits beside us and brings hope. When Jesus sits with us, He invites us to trust in that hope, even when circumstances seem impossible. Jesus at our table is that expectation, promise, and the assurance that God can and will do what He has said. We are no longer alone; we are in the presence of the One who fulfills every promise.
When we ask Jesus to be our guest… He comes with compassion, acceptance, and a love that sees beyond our flaws. He invites us to be real, to drop our rags, and to receive His mercy and grace…
Mercy And Grace
I know I have talked a lot about mercy and grace. Have you ever thought about how they might differ? I remember having this discussion in Bible Class… Even though they are similar and undeniably related, they are not quite the same. I bring this to your attention because these gifts to us are central to the message we are given for today. An easy way to remember the difference is that Grace is God’s goodness toward sinners, and mercy is God’s goodness towards sufferers… Or in other words, grace is God’s unmerited favor and free gift of salvation to sinners, while mercy is God withholding the punishment that humanity deserves. Both lovingly given to all of us because… Jesus invites us to be His guest. A guest who is precious in His sight.
The same grace Jesus shows to Matthew that day in Capernaum when He passed by the tax collector booth and said, “follow me.”
He also shared His grace with you and I at our baptism… as His guest, He calls us sinners to Himself, calls us to repentance… calling us who by nature are among that group of people who are… “those sinners.” Inviting us to a new life… a life with Him. Bestowing upon us the means of grace by the washing of water and the Word. His precious forgiveness and healing. His righteousness and holiness… and bringing you and I… into His heavenly kingdom.
Matthew The Tax Collector
So, what was next for Matthew? Well, he was led to be an apostle, an emissary for Christ, a witness of Jesus’ death and resurrection. To bring one sinner after another to faith. He devoted his life to bringing this good news of what it means to be Jesus’ guest at the table of forgiveness. Revealing his witness, bringing all believers to repentance with the true Gospel until he literally gives his life for following Jesus Christ alone as his Lord and Savior.
But not till after he wrote the Gospel that bears his name, where for the last 2000 years countless numbers of people around the world have come to the table and believed in God’s Word through his witness.
For in his Gospel, he tells the world about that baby boy in a manger. Revealing how Jesus lived his life hanging out with sinners around the kitchen table… His healing words of absolution, and the humbling words the night before He died where we forever will hear Jesus call for us to be His guest at the table… where Jesus says, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.”
And it is in the Gospel of Matthew we read the detailed account of Jesus’ crucifixion… burial, and glorious resurrection that this tax collector witnessed with his own eyes along with the other disciples.
Eternally Jesus’ Guest
We now accept Jesus’ invitation, by faith, when He invites a sinner like you and I to “follow Him and be His guest.” An open invitation called to each of us right now. Yes, our Lord who provides mercy and grace, the promise of salvation, and an invitation to Come as you are… even in our filthy rags…
Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we leave this place and return home to our kitchen tables to pray… “Come Lord Jesus be our guest…” we are returning that precious invitation for Him to enter our daily lives… My friends, He wants to share life with us, to transform our hearts, and to share that divine meal with others.
May we welcome Him with open hearts and open hands, knowing that His presence at our table changes everything. From this day forward, until we eternally join Him as His guest at the heavenly banquet…
And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.