But when they saw it,they all complained, saying,
“He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”
Luke 19:7
Titles given by enemies and critics always give an interesting perspective to the character of Christ. Jesus invited Himself to Zaccheaus’ house for dinner, and the tax collector was thrilled. All the respectable folks in Jericho were indignant. How could someone who’s spiritual be the guest of a sinner? The Lord came to earth to seek and save those who are lost (Luke 19:10). That’s still what He does.
Jesus accepted lots of invitations and ate with friends, Pharisees, and fishermen. Christ told Zaccheaus that He’d have lunch with him, because He knew the little man was afraid to ask. It would be an honor and privilege to show hospitality to the Savior, and the blessings would by far exceed the time, effort, and expense. The critics of Jesus missed out big-time.
Wow! Wouldn’t it have been great if I could have taken in Jesus to spend the night, taken Him out to a nice restaurant, or even made Him a sandwich. Wait a minute! Wait a minute! I can still do that.
In His teaching about the end times, the Lord declared, “…for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in” (Matthew 25:35). He further explains this to mean: “inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40).
The rule of Saint Benedict states, “Let all guests be received as Christ.” That’s profound and involves a lot more than just offering a bed and breakfast to some homeless guy. It means showing hospitality in the form of a living sacrifice. It’s giving food, lodging, time, housework, honor, and respect to someone who wouldn’t be able to reciprocate. It’s showing love, concern, and praying for someone/anyone God sends my way. It’s seeing Christ Jesus in that guest.
January 19
