Friends sometimes I write my self little notes when I'm reading the bible....some of the stuff I was reading made me think of just how much fun we have as a small group or any group members..who meet in Jesus name. So I'm passing my notes...with no (zero) agenda. I also included our buddy Nicholas from Haiti who many of us have met and Denny will meet, in January. Here's my notes: So Jesus passes by a tax collector named Matthew. Tax collectors were the most despised and shamed of men. This Tax collector guy Matthew makes his living off his own people by helping Rome subjugate and strip the Jewish peoples' wealth. The tax collector himself knows and his people know he is a man who is very low on integrity. Jesus asks Matthew to follow him...Matthew gets right up. "Why not ? " Matthew says to himself...this man Jesus is overlooking my sins and wants to be with me..I am definitely going..and I am not going to ask questions in case He changes His mind. Then Jesus does the completely unexpected....he goes and dines at Matthews' house! The religious people are incredulous. Perhaps in our time Jesus would be socializing with an active homosexual, or an active sex addict or an active alcoholic, or even an insurance man who preys on widows. Jesus dines with such people. We don't hear a lot about Jesus trying to straighten people out. His cousin John spent a lot of time telling people to clean up their act.....but Jesus seemed to just dive right in with people as they were. ( a famous Christian author , an admitted drunk once said ,Jesus loves as as we are, not as we should be) Right before Jesus dined with Matthew, the tax collector, they brought him a paralytic . Jesus, with out even interviewing the man, immediately pronounces the forgiveness of all His sins. The man didn't even ask to be forgiven....nor did He repent! He didn't have time...Jesus just pronounced a blanket pardon before the man had any response. In fact it wasn't even the paralytics idea to go see Jesus; His friends dragged Him there. Jesus is the friend of sinners....that's who He hangs with and that's who He is comfortable with. Why....? My guess is that a sinner..a tax collector or the like, knows they bring nothing to the table. Jesus either accepts them flat out...or it's hopeless. That's not a bad spot to be in with Jesus. Yes, such an incredible forgiveness probably changes ones behavior over time. But the point is, behavior change or not, Jesus dines with sinners.....and He is fun to be with! I think the best memories His disciples had , were dining with Him at that big wooden table. I picture them laughing and joking...clearly they were so comfortable with him. John His special friend would always sneak into the chair right next to Jesus, and even rest His head on Jesus' shoulder. What a level of comfort they had with God in the flesh! When The Apostle John was an old man on the isle of Patmos, he would write letters to the small churches about His old friend Jesus ( who had since departed.) John would stress over and over that the one thing He learned from His friend was to love love love. ( John also loved the Beatles.) John even went so far as to say if you have fear in your heart...you just haven't seen how much you are loved . He also said that as a disciple you live in a continual ongoing bath of forgiveness. John was talking about our friend Jesus who loves us more than Himself. John was so staggered by Jesus love He once said this: "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! " John just couldn't get over the magnitude of this gift. As for us modern folk , we aren't doing so bad. Jesus says we hold a special place with him. Jesus says we are particularly blessed because we have believed in Him without seeing Him. John 20:Blessed are those who believe without seeing me." ... Just a personal note to those in my two small groups: isn't it obvious He joins us at table when we meet in His name? He is so fun and He still reclines at table with us..fulfilling His promise.." That whenever you gather in my name I am in your midst.