9/14 Daily in the Word

Feasting with Publicans and Sinners
Monday, September 14, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell

"And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Matthew 9:10-13

The Gospel is not limited by man-made boundaries.

Famous preacher H.A. Ironside once told the story of a pastor traveling on a ship to Europe: "When he went on board, he found that another passenger was to share the cabin with him. After going to see the accommodations, he came up to the purser's desk and inquired if he could leave his gold watch and other valuables in the ship's safe. He explained that ordinarily he never availed himself of that privilege, but he had been to his cabin and had met the man who was to occupy the other berth. Judging from his appearance, he was afraid that he might not be a very trustworthy person. The purser accepted the responsibility for the valuables and remarked, 'It's all right, bishop, I'll be very glad to take care of them for you. The other man has been up here and left his for the same reason!'"

How natural of this pastor to not trust his cabinmate. We probably would have done the same thing if we were in his position. When we fly, we sit quietly next to the person beside us, focusing on reaching our destination. When we visit a store, we silently pass our fellow shoppers, thinking of all we have to get. It is very natural to ignore the people around us and live our own lives. But notice Christ's different approach to the people around Him.

Jesus didn't ignore the "lesser" people of society-the publicans and sinners. He invited them to dinner! He ignored the rules of society and reached out to those whom others condemned. His Gospel was not limited by man-made boundaries.

How often is God's work hindered by our acceptance of man-made boundaries in our world? "It's not safe to speak to strangers," isn't that what we teach our children? While it's wise for them to learn discretion, there are times God burdens us to witness to those around us despite our not knowing them.

Society tells us it's impolite to disturb someone's silence, confront them with religion, or speak of eternity. People have tried to silence the name of Christ and the mention of the Bible's teachings. Yet Jesus showed us that no matter the social boundaries of His time, He sat down with publicans and sinners, and told them of His love for them.

Jesus faced criticism because of His actions. There were those, as there always are, who pointed out his "social faux paus" and condemned Him because of it. But He answered them by moving past their outward differences and pointing to their spiritual need.

Going against social norms will almost always evoke criticism and condemnation, yet God's work surpasses man-made boundaries. Jesus' earthly life was spent going against the grain of society and reaching out to others. You cannot allow the devil to hinder your witness of God based on your fleshly desires or the uncomfortable feelings of speaking to someone you don't know.

How many times have you passed by a God-given witnessing opportunity because of man-made boundaries? Does the devil use fear of rejection, social awkwardness, or personal boundaries to keep you from sharing His love with others? God desires that you would obey every impulse of His Spirit no matter how "socially unacceptable" it might be. Don't limit God today by listening to the devil's fear rather than the Holy Spirit's promptings.