TEACHING

JUNE 11, 2023
10:30 AM (kids + communion)
Everyone Eats with Josh Liem
Matthew 9:9-26
People loved eating with Jesus. He was criticized and, some would argue,[1] even killed because of who he ate with. The Apostle Paul quotes ancient wisdom literature by saying “bad company corrupts moral character (1 Cor. 15:33),” but the opposite seems to be happening here in Matthew’s Gospel: Jesus’ company motivates mercy. We wrestle through first century dining norms contrasted with Jesus’ radical hospitality, and the implications for our lives. [1] H. Anderson and E. Foley, Mighty Stories, Dangerous Rituals: Weaving Together the Human and the Divine, (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998), 155.

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Teaching Notes:

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Ordinary Time, Ordinary Discipleship

Background of Matthew:

• Hosea 6:6
• Lev 15:19-25
• Num 19:11-12

The Big Idea:

Implications:

For Discussion and Reflection

1. ​What is proper dining etiquette (table manners) for you or your culture?
   
   1. What (unspoken) rules are there when inviting people/selecting guests for dinner?
2. What makes for an awkward or uncomfortable dinner?  
3. Imagine Jesus inviting us all over for dinner.  
   1. What would he serve?  How accommodating would he be for your preferences in food?  
      
   2. Who else do you see at the table?
      
   3. Who would you love to sit with?
      
   4. Who would you be scared or uncomfortable to sit with?  
4. Where does the story of Jesus eating with all people, especially those considered impure, sinful, or perhaps outcasts in society, confront you?
5. Imagine eating with the most theologically/philosophically/politically opposite person from you and Jesus.  What would be a Jesus-y way of feasting together?