"Why does he eat with sinners?"

It turned out to be well worth the wait. When I went back to the house for dinner, I was welcomed by Peter and Marlo and Meagan and Joe, then went with them to their storefront a few blocks away. It's open weekday evenings and weekend mornings, a place for homeless people (or anyone) to hang out for a few hours, take showers, do laundry. There's coffee and usually some food (soup and bread and pastry last night). Also cards and a piano. The high point was when one of the younger guys asked a volunteer to play "Heat Wave," by Martha and the Vandellas, and then sang it with all his might. Pretty good, too.

And when we got back to the house, Amber was playing Canon in D by Pachelbel.


This morning I read this passage from Mark 2:

As Jesus sat at table in [Levi's] house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

When Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

Does this mean the scribes were "well," "righteous"? No. Jesus could have said, "Those who think they are well have no need of a physician." But by turning away from them and spending his time with outcasts and sinners instead, Jesus also gets their attention. "Why do you walk away from us, reject our ways, our respectable society?" As a sign to them also. That their ways are not righteous, not as "well" as they think.

"I came into the world that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind." (Jn 9.39)

Reminds me to pray for Robert, a guest I met here last night, who is almost completely blind (from glaucoma treated too late). His wife is having surgery today. He is very worried that she might not live through it. But he was grinning when he shared this piece of wisdom:

"Women are a headache. Make sure to bring your aspirin."