Dirty Dining

In 1987, a romance movie called “Dirty Dancing” starred relatively unknowns at that time Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.  Jennifer or Baby became attracted to Swayze or Johnny and his “dirty dancing.”  This was dancing that was up close and personal.  It was not the stiff and formal style of dancing that people from older generations were accustomed to doing.

 

The film ends with the formal ballroom at the resort being essentially transformed into a nightclub where the snobby, upper-class patrons and the working-class kids bring together all their own styles of dance, proving that dance and music and above all love do not know social barriers.

 

Here in Mark 2, Jesus proved that Christianity and especially sharing the Gospel should also not know any social barriers when it comes to lost people.  Jesus was not guilty of dirty dancing but dirty dining.  Allow me to make three observations for us.

 

 

1. An Awful Crook, Mark 2:13-14

13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.”

In verse 13, we see that Jesus went out again from Peter’s house in Capernaum along the Sea of Galilee.  Because word was getting out quickly about removing demons and authoritative teaching and healing the paralytic and many others, multitudes of people came to Him, and Jesus took advantage of their presence in that He taught them.

 

By the way, did you know with your life, you are always teaching something to someone.  Are you teaching gratitude or ingratitude?  Are you teaching surrender to Jesus or rebellion to Jesus?  Are you teaching there will be a judgement or there is no such thing as heaven or hell?  Are you teaching trust in God or trust in self?  We are always teaching. 

 

In verse 14, we are introduced to Levi or Matthew.  Matthew was an awful crook.  He was a tax collector or a publican.  Matthew was a Jew who had purchased a tax franchise from the Roman government and Herod Antipas.  He then would tax his fellow countrymen on their possessions such as wheat and wine and oil.  However, he would also charge them as they traveled between Damascus and the Mediterranean Sea, and anything he collected above what Rome required was his to keep.  He was despised and shamed because he was seen as a traitor.  Matthew and men like him became very wealthy at the expense of his own people.

 

Matthew was Jew who acted like a Gentile but who surrendered his life completely to Jesus.  Luke 5:28 says that Matthew left all and followed Jesus.  He left his job.  He left his money.  He left his comfortable future in saying yes to Jesus.

 

 

2. An Attractive Christ, Mark 2:15-16

15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” 

 

In verse 15, virtually no time had passed, and we know see Saint Matthew, and he is serious about witnessing.  He wanted all of his friends and associates to experience the same thing that happened to him.  He wanted all of his friends to follow Jesus too. 

 

So what did he do?  Luke says that Matthew or Levi gave a “big reception” for Jesus in his own house.

Jesus was dirty dining with many or a great crowd of tax collectors and sinners.  Because Jesus was attractive, they were following him.  Jesus not only witnessed with His lips.  He also witnessed with His life.

 

Brothers and sisters, witnessing is not an issue of personality as much as it a willingness of the heart.  Notice just a few truths about Matthew’s witnessing.  First, Matthew began witnessing immediately.  He didn’t take a class or learn a presentation.  The reality is that if you are saved, you know enough to lead someone else to Christ.  It is not essential that you have been through this or that evangelism training. 

 

Secondly, Matthew began witnessing to those closest to him.  He began with those at work.  He began with other tax collectors.  If you work and work outside the home, a great place for you to start witnessing is with the people at work.  Again, don’t assume just because someone goes to church that they are saved.  If not work, consider those in your classes at school.  If not school, consider those that you fish with or golf with or hunt with or are on your team. 

 

Thirdly, don’t be afraid to use your home and or a meal as a starting point.  Gathering around food is what we do and do often.  Use food to your advantage. 

 

In verse 16, the Pharisees were experts in the law and erred in their efforts to be completely holy.  They were grumbling among themselves and to Jesus’ disciples.  They couldn’t imagine what Jesus saw in these sinners and why he would eat with them.

 

Brothers and sisters, we have to be willing to invest in sinners.  We can’t be content with attending Bible studies that are 100% Christian and Sunday schools that are 100% Christian and prayer meetings that are 100% Christian and playing golf with all Christians and eating dinner with all Christians, and our doctor is a Christian and our dentist is a Christian and our landscape people and our plumbers and our vets and our dogs are all Christians.

 

Jesus never condoned, sin but He constantly was befriending sinners.  Jesus was never worried about being infected with their sin.  He was always trying to infect sinners with His grace and mercy and love.

 

 

3. An Assumed Calling, Mark 2:17

17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

 

Jesus stated His purpose or calling plainly and clearly.  He came to save the lost.  Consequently, if that is Jesus’ calling and we are His followers, then it should be our assumed calling as well.  Our lives ought to be on mission to share the life-changing Gospel of Jesus with whoever would give us the time of day.

 

However, remember, if we are going to be fishers of men, then we must fish where men are.

 

 

Conclusion

I want to ask you this morning, “Who’s your one?”  I want you to identify, invest, and invite your one to Friend Day, April 7, 2019.