The Greatest Plot Twist

Have you ever watched a movie that has a plot twist you didn’t see coming? It always takes you by surprise. You may even be tempted to go back and rewatch the movie to find the clues that you missed.

Here in Luke 5, the Pharisees are having a plot twist moment with Jesus. Here is this rabbi that is attracting large crowds to hear Him teach and see Him perform miracles. And now, He’s eating with sinners?! If He truly is this great teacher, shouldn’t He be spending time with the wealthy, well-respected, and the religious elite? Why would He degrade Himself with sinners?

Jesus is making a profound statement here. In this culture, eating at a table together was a symbol of peace or reconciliation. Jesus was stating that sinners can find peace and forgiveness in Him. They can sit together at a table and feast in celebration of their new-found relationship.

But the Pharisees could not have fathomed that Jesus would move towards those most despised in society. The truth is that if the Pharisees had been paying attention to Jesus and to the Scriptures that they studied, they wouldn’t have been caught off guard.

The clues had always been there. From the beginning, God had been moving toward His people, calling them to repentance and faith in Him. He’s always drawn near to sinners.

It was God who provided Adam and Eve coverings after they sinned in Genesis 3. It was God who gave Moses the law, which set out to protect the weak and vulnerable. It was God who provided Israel the Promised Land, though they quickly began to practice the worship of false gods like the nations around them. It was God who gave His people chance after chance after chance to turn from their sins and trust in their true King.

God’s heart has always been to bring His people back to Him. But sin kept them at a distance. This is why Jesus came. He came to preach peace to those who were far off (Ephesians 2:17). He didn’t keep sinners at an arm length away. Rather, He sat right next to them and called them to follow Him.

The truth of Jesus is that he defies all our expectations. He’s better than we could ever imagine or hope. Luke’s account of Jesus eating with sinners should be some of the best and most comforting news to our ears. Why? If Jesus could make time to be with the lowliest, forgotten, and despised people of society, then there’s hope for you and me.

Whether we like to admit it or not, we, too, are sinners. We’ve thought, said, or done things that go against God’s holy standard. As a result, we have no business being around God.

But Jesus didn’t stay far away. He came near. He came to heal the sick and hurting. Those who are sick and hurting physically, emotionally, and spiritually find their hope in Christ.

Jesus is drawing near to you. He wants you to seek forgiveness for your sin, trust Him as Savior, and follow Him wholeheartedly. He’s not pushing you away because you’ve done too many bad things or are “too far gone.” Instead, He’s more than enough for you. He sees you. He loves you. He chooses you.   

Maybe rather than seeing yourself as one of the sinners or tax collectors, you can more easily identify with the Pharisees. You see yourself as doing all the right things. You think your actions are what make you worthy of God’s love.

The Pharisees were missing the point. They were sinners just like the tax collectors. They, too, needed the saving grace of Jesus. God just wanted their hearts not their outward actions. He wanted them to trust in His Son for the forgiveness of sins. 

Today, may the truth of Christ’s nearness bring you comfort and peace. May you allow Him to speak truth into your heart through the Holy Spirit to remind you that His saving grace is more than sufficient to forgive and heal your sinful heart.

There is hope and joy in Christ. The God of the Universe loves you and wants to be in a relationship with you. That’s the greatest plot twist known to man.