CounterculturalSample

How would you picture a dinner party with Jesus? Who do you expect to be on the guest list? What kind of people do you think you’d find around His table? If we asked the Pharisees, some of the most well-respected religious leaders of the time, we’d get a very clear answer for who they expected Jesus to keep close to Him. In their minds, it was the religious leaders—the ones who knew and followed the letter of the law—whom Jesus would invite into His inner circle. After all, they were doing everything right, and isn’t that what Jesus wants? Well, they got their answer when they looked closer at who Jesus invited.

When they saw who got a seat at the table with the Savior, they were stunned. It was the sinners, the outcasts, the forgotten, the overlooked, the troubled, the weary, the lost. In other words, it was all of us! None of us is perfect. None of us will ever get it right all the time. But with Jesus, there’s always a seat at the table. We’re always invited, always included, always welcomed in. Today, ask God to remind you that you’re included at the table with Jesus. Also, ask God to remind you that it’s your calling to invite others to join you there!