A Matthew Party for Jesus


"Then Levi gave a great banquet for Jesus in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them." Luke 5:29

Our youth director, Mac Cain, recently shared a story on Facebook. He takes classes at Kirkwood Community College. A couple days ago he was in his math class and a man sat down next to him. The guy asked Mac about his tattoos and about his Noah's Ark tattoo, specifically. So Mac asked him about his tattoos, especially his swastikas and various other Nazi symbols including the SS he had on his face.

The two of them talked for a good hour. During that time the man asked about God. Mac said he told him everything he knew. He asked if anyone was welcome, and Mac told him that no one is too far gone. The guy wondered how that could be true. So Mac told him, “Come to church with me on Sunday and find out.” Mac said it was great, aside from the fact that neither of them did any math that day.

I often get to hear stories like this from church people, like Mac, who engage other persons and invite them to meet Jesus. There are lots of ways to do that, of course, but one of the best and easiest is simply to invite others to come meet the body of Jesus, the church.

It’s really wonderful when I hear the story from the other side, that is, from the people who were invited and then accepted the invitation and showed up. There is a young couple becoming a part of Salem right now. They know some of our members through work. The young couple told me that at their work Christmas party, our members kept inviting them to come to Salem. And here they are.

It reminds me of Jesus’ disciple, Matthew—also called Levi. He was a tax collector, sitting in his booth when Jesus walked by. Jesus walked right up to him and said, “Follow me.” Matthew got right up and left everything and followed Jesus.

What happened next is beautiful. Matthew threw a party for Jesus at his own home. He invited all his friends and associates; so it was Jesus and a bunch of tax collectors and other disreputable people. Remember, tax collectors weren’t popular. They were considered traitors because they collected taxes for the Roman Empire. They were considered thieves because after they turned in the amount required by the empire, they were free to line their own pockets too. Matthew wanted them to have the opportunity to meet Jesus too. So he threw a party.

It’s an exciting time for Salem. We’re moving into our new facility in a couple of weeks. We’re celebrating our Grand Opening on Easter Sunday, April 5. But what if we thought of our Grand Opening not so much as a celebration of a new building but rather as one big Matthew Party? What if we considered it an opportunity to invite all of our friends and associates so they could meet Jesus

Will you walk across the room or across the street? Will you pick up the phone or send a text? Will you be bold and invite somebody new that you meet? Will you take the initiative and invite someone to our grand Matthew party? It’s going to be a fantastic party. Everyone will have a chance to meet Jesus. And everyone is welcome.

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