Enacted Grace (P&P)

READ | SERMON NOTES

SUMMARY l
Meal Companions: An Identity Marker

In Biblical times, sharing a meal was far more than a social event – it was a public statement of one’s identity and belonging. Your meal companions revealed your values, social standing and whom you accepted.

“I saw them eating and I knew who they were.” (Near Eastern proverb)

Table customs drew clear lines between those who belonged and those who were excluded, the worthy vs the unworthy.

• Luke describes Jesus’ table companions simply as “tax collectors and others” (v29)
• The Pharisees, however, labels them as “tax collectors and sinners” (v30), revealing their posture of judgement

Jesus’ Call and Levi’s Response

In Roman times, tax collection was a privatized and layered system, with rights going to the highest bidder. These rights would be subleased out, with each layer earning a profit by adding extra fees on top of the required Roman tax.

Levi was a part of this unfair system. He leveraged Roman rule to exploit his own people for his own enrichment. To the Jews, he was not just a sinner but a traitor.

Despite this, Jesus calls Levi to follow Him (v27). Importantly, Levi responds just as Peter, James & John did: “And he got up, left everything, and followed him” (v28). In the same way, we are called to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus as His disciples.

It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

The Pharisees did not object to Jesus teaching sinners. The true scandal for them was Jesus fellowshipping with these sinners over a meal. Jesus reframes the table as a place of healing.

“Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick;  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (v31-32)

Both Jesus and the Pharisees saw the same people. Jesus responded with compassion, the Pharisees with condemnation.

Jesus is right where He means to be – at the table with the broken, unwanted and spiritually unwell. This is where His healing is most needed. We, too, must respond with His compassion, for sin touches every life and often works in ways we are unaware of.

Four Layers of Sin (John Mark Comer)

1. Grave sins – serious deliberate acts that are clearly inconsistent with God’s will for our wholeness. E.g. Gal 5:19-21
2. Deliberate sins – conscious sins we willfully commit despite knowing the teachings of Jesus. These sins can be subtle but keep us from becoming whole, and harm our relationships. E.g. Cursing, crude humour, materialism.
3. Unconscious sins and sins of omission – sins of compulsion (addiction), dysfunctional relational patterns where we self-sabotage. E.g. Pornography, gossiping, white lies. These sins are often rooted in past trauma. They shape what we bring into relationships. Sins of omission: Failure to do what is right or neglecting what God calls us to do. E.g. unforgiveness, failing to help someone in need
4. Attachments – unhealthy attachments that we cling to for identity and security instead of God. Eg. Marriage, a stellar rep, perfectionism, financial security. These gifts can become the very source of our unhappiness because of our emotional attachment to them.

An attachment is an emotional state of clinging caused by the belief that without some particular thing or person, you cannot be happy.

Jesus Enacts Grace

• Levi’s sin was visible
• The Pharisees’ sin was invisible, even to themselves
• Jesus meets both at the table but only one is willing to be healed
• Jesus deals with sin by offering friendship – His enacted grace

Jesus is the Divine Physician and the Cure

• As the Church, we hold the cure in our hands – the good news of Jesus
• Our friendships and hospitality can become doorways for people to encounter Jesus

Parables of the Lost Coin, the Lost Sheep, and the Lost Son (Luke 15)

Jesus cares deeply for those on the outside. In the parable of the Lost Son

• The depth of the Son’s desperation is evident when he longs even for the food of the pigs, an unclean animal. The feast thrown in celebration of his return is a symbol of full restoration.

• The older brother refuses to join in the celebration, convinced his younger brother is underserving. Despite his father’s plea, he remains fixated on his own righteousness.

• The ending of this parable is unresolved and serves as a cautionary tale. The actions of the Pharisees mirror the older brother – a warning to anyone who refuses to love those who are spiritually weaker.

God invites us to join Him at His table – to extend His grace, compassion and friendship to the spiritually sick and lost.

(Sermon notes by Stella Chiam)

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PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Study Scripture
   a. Read Luke 5:27-32 aloud together. What details or phrases stand out to you in this passage?
   b. What question do the Pharisees ask Jesus, and how does He respond?
2. Recall Sermon
   a. What did you learn about the significance of table fellowship in Jesus’ time? Why was it so controversial for Jesus to eat with tax collectors and “sinners”?
   b. According to the sermon, what are the four layers of sin that can be present in our lives? Can you briefly summarise each layer?
3. Relate Personally
   a. In what ways might you be more like Levi, and in what ways might you be more like the Pharisees?
   b. Can you recall a time when you felt excluded or judged based on who you spent time with? How did that experience impact you?
   c. Which of the four layers of sin do you most identify with, or see at work in your own life?
   d. How might you respond if you see Jesus extending grace to people whom others might reject? Is there anyone in your life or community that you find difficult to include or accept? What hinders you from including or accepting them?
4. Commit to Action
   a. What is one practical step you can take this week to enact grace toward someone who may feel unwelcome or overlooked?
   b. How can you use meals or hospitality as a way to extend the love and welcome of Jesus to others?