Two Parties

Two Parties
The Hungry and the Religious
The Alive and the Dead
Luke 5-7
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Jesus encountered two kinds of people – those who recognized their sin (I will call them the hungry), and those who did not recognize their sin (I will call them the religious). Jesus was invited by both the hungry and the religious to parties given in His honor.

The Hungry Party

Luke 5:29 begins the story of The Hungry Party given by Matthew, the Jewish tax collector. Matthew was an outcast among his people, extorting taxes from them for the Romans and for his own personal gain. But then, Jesus invited him to follow Him. There were all kinds of sinners at Matthew’s party. Outwardly, they were a mess. Inwardly, they hungered for truth.

If I were invited as the guest of honor to a huge struggling, emotional, smelly, sinful party, would they be drawn to the tender compassion of the Savior in me? Would I, like Jesus, love them? Would I identify with their failings and struggles? Would I show them their value and encourage them to find life in Jesus?

The Religious Party

Luke 7:36 begins the story of The Religious Party given by a Pharisee, one of the religious rulers.

A hungry woman crashed the party to anoint Jesus’ feet out of her overwhelming gratitude to Him for freeing her from her sin. Her presence appalled the religious ruler whose lack of reception of Jesus was a stark contrast.

The religious man gave no welcome kiss to Jesus which would have been appropriate in that day. He gave no refreshing oil for His head or foot-washing from the hot, dusty road. The hungry woman greeted Jesus with kisses and tears for His feet and costly aromatic oil!

Contrasts

The religious were like the old cloth in Luke 5:36-39 – brittle and unyielding, critical and self-righteous. It was impossible for them to ingest the new life of Jesus. Hardened by pride and tradition, they looked for excuses not to believe when all the evidence was clear (Luke 7:21-23; 33-35).

The hungry were like the new wineskins in Luke 5:37-38 – soft and receptive to the purity and truth of the transforming new wine that Jesus offered.

In 1980, I wearily crawled to Jesus with my hand outstretched for His life and my hungry heart was filled. Lord, make my heart soft and hungry, so I can continually receive newness from the Holy Spirit.

For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good. (Psalm 107:9)
Blessed are you who hunger now for you shall be satisfied. (Luke 6:21)