I've Got Friends in Low Places

 

 

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

 

Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them.

 

The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

 

Jesus answered, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance." - Luke 5:29-32

It was a big party, but it was no church social.

 

Respectable rabbis would not have been there.

 

Sinners were welcome and enjoying themselves.

 

There are so many times I would love to avoid the banquet altogether and retreat into the quiet of my contemplative cave.

 

But I know there are wide-eyed Levis whose friends will gather to celebrate and anticipate good news, a virtual waiting room of sick souls awaiting their turn in the exam room to see the physician.

 

Mixed metaphors aside, the society is sick, yet feverishly ready for a healing party.

 

It is at the party where all the guests are sinners like us. They do not know the guest of honor, but they know they need a doctor who can laugh and cry with them and is willing to face the derision of the critics for his presence.

 

He is willing to be there and we should be there too.

 

In fact, even though Levi was the host and Jesus was the guest, in many ways, he was the host and always is. He makes every gathering a good news feast by his very presence.

 

Show up! The cave will be there when the party is over.

 

P.S.

 

Some years ago, I was doing a funeral for someone I'd never met as I have done a couple thousand times. The entire congregation of his fellowship community showed up. It was the group that congregated at the local watering hole.  They even closed the bar for his funeral; he was such a faithful member and attender.

 

The family chose only one song to be played in the middle of the service, between my opening scriptures, prayer, and the friends' testimonials of the first half and my message from the second half. 

 

One song: I've Got Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks.

 

What was I going to do with that to connect my gospel message to that transition? It was a lot easier than I feared. it just came to me.

"This song reminds me of a way that Bill was a lot like Jesus. Jesus was a friend of sinners like me. Bill was such a friend. He was not judgmental but accepting. People liked being around him and he liked being around people. Where he went there were smiles and laughter and lots of love. Let me tell you about Jesus and how important and loved Bill was by Jesus all the days of his life.