Levi has just left his tax booth to follow Jesus. But before he disappears into his new life, he throws a dinner party.
Outside, watching through the windows, the Pharisees are scandalized. “Why does he eat with them?”
When I was younger, I often heard this story preached a certain way, which was essentially:
“Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners, so we should hang out with them too.”
The message sounded compassionate. But something about it always bothered me.
It felt smug.
The problem with that interpretation is that it puts us on the wrong side of the table.
