An open invitation, for anyone and everyone
Proper 5A (Track 1) Genesis 12:1-9, Romans 4:13-25, Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
“As Jesus sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples.” Mtt. 9:10.
I wondered who the “sinners” were. I found an answer I did not expect.
New Testament scholar James G. Crossley says that “sinners” could mean several different things.1 It might simply mean people who were “wicked,” having no use for covenant morality. But when “sinners” was paired with wealth, and “tax collectors” signified wealth,2 it meant “rich people who (were) powerful, oppressive, abusing justice and unjustly successful.”3
It surprised me to learn that for dinner companions, Jesus sought out people who were wealthy, powerful, oppressive, abusing justice and unjustly successful. I didn’t expect that. I wondered why.
I’m not proud of that.
I think it’s safe to imagine that Jesus saw his dinner companions as people who had stories to tell. Presumably, he listened and asked questions. Presumably he tried to explain what he thought mattered in life and how one could find that. Presumably he suggested they try something different (repentance), assured them that God would help (forgiveness) and invited them to walk with and learn from him.
Matthew the tax collector was ready in an instant. Who knows how long he had been looking for a better way. At dinner that night, maybe Jesus persuaded others. We don’t know. But the invitation to follow was — and is — open to anyone. To everyone. All of us. That’s part of what makes it “good news.”
Peace.
It did not mean ritual impurity. Episodic impurity was part of everybody’s life. It was not a moral issue or the matter of sin.
James G. Crossley. Jesus and the Chaos of History: Redirecting the Life of the Historical Jesus. (Oxford University Press, Oxford 2015.) kindle edition at 98. “… [T]he association of ‘sinners’ with tax collectors and wealth has multiple attestation of sources and forms which would suggest that this theme is part of pre-Gospel tradition…” kindle edition at 105.
Crossley’s definition of “sinners” in this context is backed up by an extensive linguistic and literature survey. I haven’t found anyone who disagrees him and gives a reason for their disagreement. FWIW, the definition surprised me, but it seems to read right with so many other gospel passages, for example (and not limited to) Mtt. 19:16-24, (the rich young man and the camel & the eye of the needle saying.)
In the next few weeks I have a couple opportunities to preach for which I am very grateful. And then there is a big family event in NJ. So for a while I will be posting SermonStarts every other week. I hope to resume weekly posts on Friday, July 17. As always, thank you for reading!
Of course this is right. It's sobering for me to reconsider this kind of sinner in a new (and partially reluctetant) way.