It is referred to as "The Last Supper". Countless authors have written about it. Innumerable preachers have preached messages regarding it. And for centuries artists have attempted to capture images of it. But for my "Thanksgiving" thoughts, I would like to look at what I will refer to as "The First Supper". The event that I am referring to does not actually have a name at all and I am not suggesting that it should be given this title. I have just chosen to call it this for my own reference.
The "supper" that I speak of is recorded for us by three of the Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark and Luke. Each gives a very similar description of the event with little variation of the details. The following are their separate accounts as found in scripture.
Matthew 9:9-13 And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he rose, and followed Him. And it happened that as He was reclining at the table in the house, behold many tax-gatherers and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax-gatherers and sinners?" But when He heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick."But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Mark 2:14-17 And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he rose and followed Him. And it came about that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax-gatherers and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. And when the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax-gatherers, they began saying to His disciples, "Why is He eating and drinking with tax-gatherers and sinners?" And hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Luke 5:27-32 And after that He went out, and noticed a tax-gatherer named Levi, sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, "Follow Me." And he left everything behind, and rose and began to follow Him. And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax-gatherers and other people who were reclining at the table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax-gatherers and sinners?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
It is evident that this occurs following the calling of Matthew to be one of the twelve. The incarnate Son of God had spoken two very powerful words to Matthew when He said to him, "Follow Me". There is no doubt in my mind that these were the words of the Sovereign One. This "tax-gatherer", who had been sitting in the tax office, then "rose and followed Him". I don't suppose that Matthew could have refused any more than the sun and moon could have resisted their creation and placement in the heavens. I will not deny it, I am one of those who believe in, trust in, and find great comfort in His sovereignty over all His creation.
At some point they precede to Matthew's house for what Luke calls a "big reception" for Jesus. We are not really given a description of Matthew's house but we can make at least one assumption about it. It appears to have been a large house as the Gospel accounts speak of "many" or "a great crowd of' tax-gatherers and sinners who were in the house and "reclining at the table" with Jesus and His disciples.
We see in the text that the Pharisees and their scribes became witnesses to this "reception" and in their grumbling, they asked His disciples a question. Matthew records the question in this way, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax-gatherers and sinners?" Mark's gospel reads, "Why is He eating and drinking with tax-gatherers and sinners?" And in Luke's gospel we read, "Why do you eat and drink with the taxgatherers
and sinners?" At first one might criticize them for asking the question. But perhaps we should be thankful that they did. In fact, I am very glad that they asked this question.
If you have read this scripture before, perhaps you have already noticed this. Although the disciples are the recipients of the Pharisee's question, neither of them appears to have given a response. I have a couple of thoughts about this. First of all, I would suggest that none of the disciples would have known how to rightly answer the question. Perhaps they even looked at one another in anticipation of one of them responding to the question for the others. We really don't know. But then Jesus spoke. Jesus provided the answer.
As we should be, I am sure that each of the disciples was thankful that Jesus responded to the question Himself. After all, it was His conduct that was really being questioned. In the thirty-three years that He walked on this earth, Jesus never shied away from giving a truthful answer. I so much appreciate the picture that we see here. The disciples are questioned and Jesus intercedes. Praise the Lord! He is our intercessor and advocate!
And don't you love His answer? Should we not be forever thankful for the answer that He gave? Jesus said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick." And He continued, "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." He did not deny or try to make excuses for it. He reclined at this table in Matthew's house, in the midst of tax-gatherers and sinners because of their need of Him. Those who surrounded Him at this ordinary table were representatives of you and I. We all share in the same sickness which is nothing less than sin itself. No, their was no one at the table who fully understood who He was, and what He had came to do. But He was the Physician they all needed. And we need Him too.
The "table" is not limited to the one that sat in Matthew's house so many years ago. If Jesus were walking on earth today, I have no doubt that the Holy and sinless One would recline at your table or mine and eat with the sinners gathered around it. He would do so, not to condone the sin in our lives, but for the same reason that He reclined at the table with tax-gatherers and sinners. Sin has brought a sickness to each of us that only this Physician can heal.
As you gather around your table this Thanksgiving, together with family and friends, remember to give Him thanks for His willingness to eat with tax-gatherers and sinners! If you sense that you are not well; if the sickness and burden of sin is upon you; come to His table and dine with the One who is able to make you well. And give Him thanks everyday! God bless.
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