[Uucf-bible] like to champion a book, film, etc?

[Leigh Anne Petersen]

Dear Ron,

This may not be what you are looking for in bible passage thoughts, but since I 
identify a lot with Matthew as an outcast who joined Jesus, my favorite bible 
passage is the one where Jesus comes to eat with Matthew in Matthew Chapter 9.  
The below is simply a concept of what might have been going through Matthew's 
head as he prepared for the feast with Jesus that I wrote sometime ago.

Matthew's Feast
by Leigh Anne Petersen 


The  banquet tables are set.  Every table and mat he could find has been  
pressed into service for this momentous feast.  Food of every kind has  been 
ordered from the street merchants and will soon arrive to be placed  on the 
tables.  He paid dearly to ensure the quality of the food.  But  who to invite?  
Most of the respectable people in town would never be seen eating with him.    
Many even curse him under their breath for his dealings with Rome.   Asking them 
would be a waste of time at this point, since they wouldn’t  come anyway.  And 
now, time is at a premium since Jesus will soon be  here. 
 
 
He paces the room thinking of his guests…  who should they be?  Most of his 
friends are not even close to being  “proper society”.  His internal laugh 
carries a hint of sarcasm, as he  considers the fact that many in his club of 
outcasts would literally be  stoned if they even tried to enter the holy space 
of the  Temple.  Cut off from the religious gatherings of their people by their  
trade or lifestyle, they have had little chance to experience religious  life.  
(Or to be contaminated by it, might be a better phrase.)
 
His  hand slaps upon a table sounding the fact that he has made his  decision.  
As he dons his cloak he heads not for the “good” side of  town, but for the 
places where the prostitutes roam.  He knows where  they are, for outcasts often 
need each other for comfort.  One by one he  invites them to his feast…a feast 
with the Rabbi.  Fearfully, some try  to beg off, “Eat with a Rabbi?  I 
couldn’t!”  But he insists and  promises them safety and hospitality.  And 
reluctantly they agree to  come…for him. 
 
Finally, he enters the guild of the tax  collectors.  It is filled with wealthy, 
powerful men, hated by their own  people for their collusion with Rome.  How 
often had this hatred by the  people driven them to vengefully cheat the people 
even more?  How often  had it driven them into the arms of the women he just 
invited?  It  should be an interesting meal.
 
Back at the house  he readies the food as it comes, the tables now groan with 
the weight of  the banquet meal and he smiles as he thinks of the response some 
of the  delicacies he ordered will get.  One by one the guests he invited  
arrive.  Some smiling or sharing embarrassed looks with one another.   But 
Matthew encourages them all to recline at the table and  relax…tonight will be 
for them.  He will make sure they get the loving hospitality they deserve. 
 
 
Then  the door is framed by an impressive figure, the body of a carpenter  whose 
shoulders are wide enough to bear great beams of wood.  How strong  and sturdy 
Jesus is! Matthew just grins and shakes his head at the  sight of this powerful 
Rabbi, no pale scholar here!  Jesus breaks the  Rabbi mold in so many ways! 
 
As he  prepares to greet Jesus, Matthew notices an unusual trembling in his  
hand, he feels almost like a schoolboy in the presence of a great  teacher, a 
great, loving, teacher.  Somehow the presence of  Jesus, brings out an almost 
childlike innocence and hope in him.   Innocence?  He shakes his head in 
bewilderment and then greets Jesus and  his disciples. 
 
 
He leads them to the head table  and wonders how to introduce Jesus to such a 
crowd, but Jesus never  gives him the chance.  One by one he greets Matthew’s 
guests as if he  has known them all along.  A rabbi greeting and touching the 
unclean and  outcast?  His intimacy with them surprises some and embarrasses  
others.  But they accept his touches and kisses with sighs of ….relief,  joy, 
what?  Matthew watches in wonder at the effect Jesus has on his  fellow 
outcasts.  They seem to look at Jesus with eyes that are almost  hungry…. 
panting for something. 
 
 
Jesus takes his place at the head of the table, and he raises the cup and prays 
a blessing for the God who loves them all.   Many of the guests seem to have 
forgotten the food is even on the  table, having eyes only for Jesus.  Jesus 
looks at them and then laughs,  encouraging them to eat the feast Matthew has 
provided. 
 
The  feast within the feast however, is even better than the food Matthew  
provided.  Jesus shares stories of about a prodigal son, a missing lamb  and a 
lost coin.  And somehow, the hearts of everyone present all know  that they are 
the child, the lamb and the coin worth searching for.   Many weep openly at this 
sense of being found so “worthy” and precious. 
 
But  then, in the midst of all this love, uninvited intruders appear at the  
door.  The local religious militias have come to harass his beloved  guests.  
Matthew rises to confront them, but Jesus places a restraining  hand on his 
shoulder and shakes his head.  Instead Jesus himself rises  to protect those 
sitting at the table with him.  Looking at the  religious leaders squarely, he 
lets them know that he has come to heal  these people and will not have them 
harassed.  The group of outcasts watch in wonder as a Rabbi actually defends 
them.  Mouth dropping open Matthew can do nothing but listen to the one who 
loves him.
 
As  he watches Jesus confound the religious leaders, Matthew also hears  words 
that shake him to his core.  That Jesus may be taken away from  him, and his 
feasting may end in fasting.  At that point Matthew makes  his decision final; 
he will follow Jesus and leave all this behind.  He  could pay the women to 
housesit for him.  They would love all this luxury…. and safety (and the 
opportunity to leave their dangerous and demeaning vocations behind.) 
 
 
From  Matthew the tax collector to Matthew the disciple…what a switch!  As he  
looks around the table, Matthew just chuckles at the types of people  Jesus 
seemed to attract (and offend)...it was going to be an interesting journey.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Hi all. I am looking for recommendations of either new books you may have  
read that touched your soul, or perhaps a spiritual classic you keep 
returning  to or have just discovered; or perhaps a movie that has captured 
important  meanings in life for you? Or a television series that has done the 
same? 

Or is  there a spiritual website you might suggest to others?

If you have one, please send it along, and write at least a paragraph  
summarizing its content and a paragraph about how and why it moves you. 

Also, for the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible this year, I would  
like to issue a call for you to write something for others in the UUCF 
about a  specific bible passage that has meant a lot to you. 

Thanks. Send the brief book or etc. paragraphs along to me as soon as you  
can; they can be about the size of a typical list post here; feel free to 
spend  more time on the bible passage thoughts and send those to me anytime. 

blessings, Ron