In the gospels we are given three reasons for why Jesus came to live and do what he did. Using his own short hand term for himself ‘the son of man’ we’re told: in Luke 19:10 “the son of man, came to seek and save the lost.” then in Matthew 20:28 “the son of man came to offer his life as a ransom for many” and lastly in Luke 7:34 “the son of man came eating and drinking.” These verses talk about Jesus’ heart, they talk about his reason for coming and finally they talk about his method of ministry – how he lived and did what he did.
Jesus came eating and drinking. He befriended and ate with people from all sorts of backgrounds and he showed radical inclusion toward everyone he met. Inviting a person into your home and around your table was (and still is) a sign that you accepted them and a statement that you were allies. In our reading, Jesus saw a contradiction between the fact that the Pharisee had invited a suffering man into his home and the way they were treating him. Jesus corrected this contradiction by showing the man compassion and care, healing him on a day of the week when it was taught that no labour was allowed.
From the beginning, the Way of Hospitality has been practised not only by Jesus but by his people as well. Christians were among the first people in the world to establish houses of healing for the sick and the poor. Those houses came to be called: hospitals from the word hospitality.
