A Biblically based commentary on current issues that impact you

Dining with the King: Jesus Dines with Sinners

How Banquets in the Bible reveal Salvation or Judgment

by Bob DeWaay

"And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, 'Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?' And Jesus answered and said to them, 'It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.'" (Luke 5:29-32)

In 2Samuel 9 one finds the account of King David showing kindness to a lame descendant of Saul for the sake of his previous relationship to Jonathan, Saul's son. Both Saul and Jonathan were now dead and this lame man, Methphibosheth, was the only remaining descendant: "The king said, 'Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?' And Ziba said to the king, 'There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.'" (2Samuel 9:3) Since Saul had been David's mortal enemy, and a king would typically search out descendants of a rival king for the purpose of killing them to assure they would not make a claim to the throne, a call from David to find Methphibosheth would be considered alarming and likely life-threatening.

David's motive was not to kill the lame descendant of Saul but to show God's hesed (covenant love, much like the NT term "grace")... READ MORE.

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