The Table of Love: How Does God Change Us from the Inside?
In our authentic Eastern culture, eating is not just a way to satisfy hunger, but rather “bread and salt,” and a profound symbol of acceptance, security, and establishing strong relationships. When you open the door of your home to someone and share your food with them, you implicitly declare your reconciliation with them and your recognition of their value to you.
From here, we can understand the shock and astonishment that befell society at the time of Jesus Christ, when they saw him sitting at the same table with the “tax collectors” (tax collectors who were considered traitors and oppressors at that time) and the rest of those whom society classified as “sinners.” The guardians of religious manifestations asked with disapproval: How does a man who is supposed to represent purity dare mix with these people and eat with them?!
But Christ answered them with a golden rule that changed the concept of formal religiosity, saying:
“The healthy do not need a doctor, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”(Mark 2:17).
The heart of the doctor who heals and does not criticize
This noble position carries within it great secrets of how the Creator deals with His servants, and dispels many misconceptions:
- Accepting a person does not mean admitting guilt:Christ’s sitting with sinners was not an applause for their sins or a belittlement of transgressions, but rather an embodiment of God’s mercy that encompasses everything. He is like a wise teacher or a compassionate doctor. He does not run away from the patient, but rather approaches him to prescribe medicine for him.
- Acceptance first, then change:Many of us fall into the trap of negative thinking, so we say to ourselves: “I will first improve myself, get rid of my bad habits, and then draw closer to God after that.” But the biography here teaches us exactly the opposite! You will not be able to recover on your own without going to the doctor. God calls you to come to Him with your weakness and inability first, and His closeness to you is what will give you the strength to change and abandon sin.
- Love as the strongest motive for repentance:When these rejected people felt that there was someone who respected their humanity and sat with them without arrogance or condescension, their hearts moved from within. True change does not always come through intimidation and isolation, but rather often stems from an abundance of love, mercy, and protection.
His door is always open to you
God Almighty extends His hand of mercy throughout the night and the ends of the day, and He does not require that we be perfect without faults in order for us to turn to Him. He wants honesty and acceptance from us, and through His care He undertakes to reform our hearts and refine our souls.
Question for contemplation and contemplation:If God knows all your faults, and yet opens the doors of His mercy and closeness to you without preconditions… are you ready today to break the barrier of fear and shame, and approach Him exactly as you are, confident in His ability to change you for the better?