Luke 5:27-32 (NIV) - “After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. ’Follow me,’ Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus answered them, ’It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’”

Christians eating together can be a very odd dinner party, for it is filled with people who would have never eaten together in their lives. That is one of the beautiful things about being together and eating. Because of God’s grace in our lives, we are able to welcome each other in this amazing grace. And it’s in those grace-filled moments we enter into what it means to live differently, to be truly human, and to become more and more like Jesus together - in our sharing, laughing, crying, thinking, playing, listening, and enjoying the wonders of God’s grace being expressed in our lives and welcoming each other once again as family.

Today, let’s thrive in the grace of God, making the most of every opportunity to welcome others into the grace and kindness of our Lord. Let’s pray that we will be gracious people and that our ministries and churches will be places that graciously welcome others into fellowship with Jesus.

-TR