Hosea 5:15 – 6:6; Psalm 50; Romans 4: 13-18, Matthew 9: 9-13

 O, God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen

 Matthew 9: 9-13

Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

 Pray with me that the words that I share are the words that God would have us hear.

Amen

 Food and drink are two of the basic necessities for us to maintain life. No matter what our cultural background, in spite of the wide diversity of cooking styles and food choices associated with our heritage, we all have this one thing in common. “We all need to eat and drink.” Our society is often referred to as a “fast food society”; but even so we do not all, always eat alone in our cars outside the hamburger pick-up window.

 There are several strong aspects associated with the sharing of food. Of course food and drink provide us with the nutrients needed physically to live, grow and maintain healthy bodies. Sharing a meal together fulfills at least two additional needs, the need for socialization and provides a common point for spiritual connection.

 Last weekend our church building was kept open as numerous parishioners took turns being available for those who walked in from the street. I myself spent several hours just being available with music playing in the background so anyone coming from the Jazz Festival would feel welcome. Several people did come inside to enjoy the spirit and the beauty of this place.

 The day was breezy on Saturday, actually it was more than breezy it was absolutely, down-right, gale force windy. The front doors were propped open and inside the entry hall – lining it from front to back were tables of cookies, brownies and coffee as the members of our own altar guild enticed people from the street with their tasty food selections. Those common basic elements of food (although I don’t actually believe that Port Wine and Nut Brownies can be called “common” or “basic”) as I was saying, though, those basic elements of food and drink provided a common subject, a meeting point for all those who ventured near the doors.  From this meeting point, people were made welcome and felt comfortable to continue inside to enjoy the stained glass windows as well as the peace and serenity of our church.  Among the visitors were many who had never before set foot in this building. These also included descendents of Cornelia Alice Haymond, who is the subject of our beautiful St Cecelia stained glass window. The woman who arrived with her daughter and granddaughters had heard family stories passed through the generations about the stained glass window dedicated to their ancestor, but had never before seen it. They were very interested in the history of her connection to St. Paul’s and the story of this memorial window as it has been passed down through the generations within this parish.

 The social aspect of sharing food is also made evident every Sunday after our worship services. After the 8 o’clock service attendees gather in the parish hall to share the delicious baked items provided by our resident baker Albert. The same opportunity occurs at the social time after our 10 o’clock service. Everyone is invited to stop, to socialize, and to share in the delicious items lovingly provided by Rachel Godoy, Sharon and Richard Kennedy, the vestry members or other members of our church family.

 I can hope and I do trust that my words to you today and the sermons presented by Lynell, Rik, Loreen and the others who speak in our church services strike a chord and help you feel a stronger connection to God. But, to me it is obvious that sharing in the sustenance of food and drink and the social time associated with that time is when recent “first time attendees” really become connected to St. Paul’s. Also, that is the time when each of us is able to maintain and strengthen our social connectedness to one another. I know that I have been more easily able to meet and converse with others around this common point of sharing food.

 There are several stories in the Bible which report meals that Jesus ate with his contemporaries. Our gospel reading today tells us that after Matthew was called to follow as one of the original disciples, Jesus had a meal “and as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples.” In eating with the outcasts of society Jesus was doing a scandalous thing. He was a good and righteous man and here he was being intimate with those who were considered not to be worthy, he had taken himself to that common point of sharing food and drink and socializing. The Pharisees were outraged. They considered themselves and Jesus, as a religious teacher, separate and better than those tax collectors and sinners. They scrupulously avoided eating with people they didn’t approve of to keep themselves pure for their religion and for God.

 It is no different today people avoid those they feel are unlovable or unworthy. But Jesus’ response was different and should serve as an example for us. He asserted two things; first he made the point that it is the sick that need a physician, not the healthy. This strongly makes evident the responsibility to help - not to shun - the downtrodden and outcasts of society. Secondly, Jesus quoted the section of Hosea read here today and asserted that God wanted love, not sacrifice; knowledge of God not burnt offerings.” Jesus displayed merciful, steadfast love to show us what God is like. The standard is for us is to follow. We also are to display mercy and steadfast love even to those who we think do not deserve it.

 Week after week we leave the comfort of our church here and go out and “live in the world”. We spend much of our waking day among those who may care little or nothing about God and feel little responsibility to others and the world in which we all live. We naturally avoid those that we perceive to be different from us. We can easily fall into the same negative destructive thoughts and actions which we experience and observe around us. But this is not the example that Jesus gave to us in this meal among the outcasts.

 Jesus gave us a better example. Jesus loved people – but Jesus also liked people – this was obvious to all who knew Him. He didn’t just tolerate people. He didn’t dwell on their differences. He enjoyed them and saw the value and beauty in each of them as individuals not the stereotypes by which they may be represented.

 There is a story about the Lindberg family who moved into a new home in Kentucky. Their seven year old son Jason decided to explore the neighborhood. He returned within the hour proclaiming that he had already made some new friends. “Good, are they boys or girls?” his mother asked. “One is a boy and one is a girl,” he replied. “That’s great,” she said. “How old are they?” “Mom,” Jason replied, almost shocked, “that would be rude to ask.” She was puzzled by his response but happy that her son was adjusting so well. He was quickly off for more exploration but an hour later, he was back again. “Mom!” Jason shouted through the screen door. “I found out how old my new friends are. The girl is 65 and the boy is 70.” Jason went out of his way to meet people and he found two friends ailing also to reach out and accept the offer to be his friend. They proved they could be trusted and that they trusted Jason, because they even gave out their age. Jason and his new friends recognized their similarities instead of their differences.

 Jesus set another example at another meal we have recorded in the Bible. As he shared his last meal with the disciples, Jesus specifically and clearly made the connection between the physical, social and spiritual needs of people. We commemorate that meal each time that we gather to celebrate the Eucharist. By commemorating that meal we also acknowledge the physical need of nourishing our bodies, the social connection of sharing food and drink as we strengthen our spiritual ties. The fact that food and drink are necessary to maintain physical life, and that food and drink provide a common point of reference for our social life are both reasons that our Eucharist can continue to be such a vivid and powerful symbol of our spiritual connection two thousand years later.

 The word “Eucharist” comes from the Greek word eucharstia which means gratefulness or thanksgiving. The other word for this action “Communion” comes from the Middle English word communio which means sharing or holding in common.

 We share our gratefulness and thanksgiving to God when we share these common elements – food and drink – with one another. The physical, social, and spiritual needs are universal.

 How can we best follow Jesus’ examples?

 

We can take the strength of our common spirituality with us, and we can practice it everywhere we live, every day.

We can see people with Jesus’ eyes.

It is easy to tear people down, but we can take the harder route and build people up.

We can show discipline because we need to see with Jesus’ eyes and build up those we like and trust as well as those people with whom we don’t feel a strong connection.

We can say something to affirm someone.

We can thank them.

We can compliment them.

We can inspire them to greater things.

We can talk about their potential, and we can do it with people we don’t like.

 Find the common point – as common and universal as food and drink.  Remember, as universal as is the physical need for nourishment, is also the social need for friendship and mercy, and is also the need for a spiritual connection.

 Loving God, let us see people not only for who they are or have been but also who they can become through your love and grace.

 Amen