July 5, 2026 - The Gospel of Luke - Week 10 - The Two Tables

Highland Christian Church - Asheville, NC

Communicator - Jason Garris

Luke 5:27-32 - "Healthy people don't need a doctor, sick people do." Jesus builds His Kingdom with the people religion would reject. The outsider is welcome to the new table.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Jesus walks toward the money table. Everyone else walks around it. Everyone else avoids Matthew's money table, yet Jesus walks toward the money table. Imagine everyone watching. Can you imagine people watching Jesus going up to this money table? Can you see them? Can you go? Why is he doing that? Uh oh, I know why he's going up to Matthew. He's gonna break out Messiah. Whoop by the time. Like he's gonna be like, I'ma take Matthew down, I'ma take him to the shed, and I'm gonna beat him down, and I'm gonna show everybody how long he's been and how long it is to work for him, and I'm gonna show that nobody takes advantage of this real. Miracle is Matthew following you to miracle Welcome in everyone. My name is Jason, and I'm one of the pastors of Highland Christian Church. On behalf of our team, I just wanted to say thanks for taking some time to journey with us through the scripture. Our hope is that these words would cause you to think carefully about this Jesus we proclaim, and that you would choose to trust him in your day-to-day. And as always, if you're in the Asheville area, whether you live here or you're visiting, we'd love for you to come join us at the corner of Livingston and Depot Street in person at the Dr. Wesley Grant Senior Southside Center. Our prayer is that God's words would equip you for every good work that He's prepared for you to do today. This morning, I just wanted to preface uh as we're walking into this story, I'm gonna be calling Levi Matthew. Uh, and there's a reason for that because in the Gospel of Matthew, the author refers to himself as Matthew. And most scholars would 100% agree that this Levi is Matthew. Uh, it's widely believed that he used his Christian name, his Greco-Roman name, out of humility to kind of downplay the controversial past that he actually had as a tax collector. So, to capture who Jesus says he was, we're gonna tell this story as Matthew. Um, so Levi may be your translation or your in your scripture, but we're gonna use it as Matthew this morning. So, uh, but I want you to think about it, and I want to I want you to see uh a visual here that that everyone has a table, and you're gonna walk out thinking about tables this morning, and that's good because that's the point uh together. Everyone has a table. Some tables are kitchen tables, you know. Uh most don't spend a lot of time around kitchen tables anymore these days. Uh, maybe your table is a conference table where you're constantly in the middle of meetings. Uh maybe you sit around a poker table with your buddies and play some poker. Maybe you have a TV table that you sit around. Uh, but a table tells you and me what matters. Who's sitting at the table with you? Think of your table right now. Who's welcome at the table that you have pulled a chair up to? Who is honored around those tables? What conversations are happening around those tables? What kind of people belong at the tables that you're sitting at? Just kind of picture some of those people. Picture those that you're sitting with. If you want to know about your life, if you want to know about my life, you can answer the question: what table are you sitting at? Who's welcome at that table? It tells a lot about who we are. Luke tells the story of a man who leaves one table to discover another table. That's where we're headed this morning. Leaving one table to discover another table. I want you to imagine if you can, and I know imagination is hard for us these days, what I want you to think about a money table. The table that Levi, Matthew, is sitting at. Can you hear the coin bags being tossed down on to that table? Can you hear the coins sliding across the wood as somebody slowly pushes Matthew the money that Rome is taking from them? Can you hear the Roman soldiers mocking those who are coming and paying their taxes? Can you hear the people mumbling under their breath? I cannot believe I have to give Rome my money. Can you hear parents cussing Matthew under their breath and children repeating those ugly words about Matthew that they just heard their parents say? Can you see it? Can you see merchants? And it's funny because Andrew, James, and John, who are fishermen who just started following Jesus, may have actually had to give Matthew money from their work to pay for his lifestyle. Like guys that are actually gonna be in the same room with Jesus, probably paid Matthew more than he was owed because of how corrupt Matthew might have been. Can you imagine being in that room when you walk in and you're like, all right, Jesus, we're getting ready to start. Matthew? What is he doing here, right? The anger that might have been experienced. It's clear that Matthew doesn't have many friends. But here's what Matthew does have: security. He has income. Matthew has power. He has control. All things that I think we might be willing to trade for. Think about it, like he has what appears to be everything that any human could possibly want. Every coin that he hears hit that table tells him that he matters. Every note he takes about a payee to let Rome know this is how they are or who they are. It reminds him that Rome trusts him. Every day that his pockets are getting fatter. We don't know about Matthew at this point. We don't know if he knows that his soul is sick. I have a feeling he knows his soul is sick, though. I have a deep feeling he knows something's not right. What kind of table is the money table? Sometimes you have to think about that. It promises security, it promises identity, it promises importance, it promises if you can just get a little bit more, this kind of table only cares about one thing. What can I get next? Kids, that's what it means to miss the mark. The mark that God has given us was never meant to be a story about us. Very few of us have ever worked for Rome. I don't know if anyone that has actually worked for Rome in this room, right? But all of us have a money table. You have a table that you sit at that is your table. You, maybe it's not money for you, maybe it's success, maybe it's approval. Some of you are so desperate for approval. Your table is you holding on to. I will do whatever it takes to be approved by man, to be approved by uh Instagram, to be approved by Google, to be approved on by my friends at school. I will hold on to this table. This is my money table. Maybe it's control. You're a control freak and you're like, I will never let go of this money table because it gives me the ability to control things. Maybe it's not control, maybe it's comfort. You hate the idea of suffering, and so you will do anything you can to prevent it. So suffering isn't an option, but comfort is. Maybe yours is politics. Maybe you build so many walls in your own life because of your political view right now in the climate that we are in, that you see everyone who sees the opposite as an enemy. That's holding on to your money table. Over my cold, dead hands. Will you pry this table out of my hands? Maybe it's your reputation, maybe it's achievement, maybe it's just being right. You can't stand being wrong, so you will never let go because being right matters more to you than anything else. This table, this money table promises you if you can just hold on to it, you'll finally be enough. As simple as I can put the money table, you will finally be enough. The money table always makes one person the guest of honor. Me. It's why we love that table so much. Because we're the most important. And that's what really what sin is. It's not just sin is not just breaking rules. I think we've done a terrible job as the church helping people understand the heart of sin. Sin is not merely breaking rules, sin is building life around yourself. Do it without God. Just build a life for yourself. You can almost feel Matthew trapped at this table. He's become the kind of man maybe he never imagined. Maybe his parents had big aspirations for him to be something else, but now he's a traitor. Now he's filthy rich because of dirty money. Now he's all of these things. He's hated by his own people, he's used by another group of people. So, like, if Rome's using you, you know, Israel hates you, so why not get rich?

unknown 10:21

Right?

SPEAKER_00 10:21

Why not get something out of this deal? Like, if everybody hates me or I'm being used, I might as well get something out of this brokenness. That's where Matthew is. He probably doesn't even know that there is another way to live. Matthew's aiming at the only mark he knows, and that's him being the guest of honor. But, and this is my favorite part, Jesus walks toward the money table. Jesus walks toward the money table. Everyone else walks around it, everyone else avoids Matthew's money table, yet Jesus walks toward the money table. Imagine everyone watching. Can you imagine people watching Jesus going up to this money table? Can you see them? Can you go, why is he doing that? Oh, I know why he's going up to Matthew. He's gonna break out Messiah whoop butt time. Like he's gonna be like, I'm gonna take Matthew down, I'm gonna take him to the shed, and I'm gonna beat him down, and I'm gonna show everybody how wrong he's been and how wrong it is to work for Rome, and I'm gonna show that nobody takes advantage of Israel, right? They could have had that thought, but that's not what happens. Like if you know the story, so many think that this miracle is Matthew going, Yeah, I'll follow you. The miracle is actually Jesus walking towards that table. In a world where everyone would have walked the other direction, Jesus walks right up to it and simply says, Follow me. Two words. Not a sermon, not a hype man, no emotional music, no fog machines, lasers, lights, the right atmosphere, not setting the table with perfect illustrations and opening catchphrases. He simply says, follow me. And something in Matthew does the unthinkable. He says in verse 28, Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. Like if you want to memorize a passage, just memorize this one. It's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine words, not even in the double digits. If you memorize this passage, you may find yourself figuring out what discipling, being a disciple of Christ looks like. Three short movements, but every one of these movements costs Matthew something. First, Matthew gets up. Some of you haven't gotten up yet. Some of you are like this, and you're pretending to get up, but you're like, I'm not really gonna get up. I can fake it long enough, but I can stay behind my table. I can stay behind the money table. Right? Sometimes following Jesus begins before you know where you're going. Some of you, you won't let go of the table because control is your thing, and you're like, I'll get up if he'll tell me where I'm supposed to go. I need every detail from Jesus first, then I'll get up. Right? Some of us are just holding on to that table because we think, Jesus, you gotta give it to me the way I want it. You got to tell me what I want to hear first, and then I'll get up. But Jesus says, follow me. It starts with standing up, with getting up. Every healing that we've already seen Jesus do has a moment when the person healed, what? What do they do? They get up. Following Jesus involves getting up from whatever table you're sitting at. But it's not just getting up. Matthew leaves everything. Now, this doesn't mean, and I know there are some branches of Christianity that believe that Jesus says that everybody has to sell absolutely everything that they have and give it to the poor. That was a one-off instance to a man whose idol was his money and everything he had. Now, Matthew, as you're gonna see, goes and throws Jesus a big party. That's really hard to do when you don't have anything. Jesus also tells people to practice generosity and hospitality. But if we've all taken a vow of poverty and gotten rid of everything, it's really hard to be hospitable and generous to people when you have nothing. Okay? Here, Matthew getting up and leaving everything doesn't necessarily mean he sells everything. But it does mean he leaves his old pursuits. It does mean that he is going to leave his money table because Matthew cannot drag his old money table into the kingdom of God with him. He doesn't get to do that. Jesus says, follow me. The security that Matthew was pursuing, the identity that Matthew was pursuing, the selfish ambition, the extortion of other people, making them feel lesser as they walk away from the table, the old loves. You leave those. You get up, you leave, but it says Matthew follows Jesus. Following Jesus isn't about just standing and leaving, it's actually walking behind someone. This is where we struggle. You wonder why? Because we want to lead. I ain't walking behind nobody. I'm in charge. I lead. I decide. Jesus, I'm gonna tell you what you're like, and I'm gonna tell you what to do. That's our hearts. Jesus says, follow me. It's hard for us because we want to be in control. Jesus isn't asking people to merely stop sinning, He's inviting them somewhere better. And this is why the gospel is so offensive, because better is impossible on our own. It just is. God is ultimately revealing to us from Genesis to Revelation that the kingdom life that He designed us to live is impossible apart from the King. It's impossible apart from Him being the one who's leading our steps. And you know what? When God leads our steps, He may ask you to drop things that you think are good for you. He may ask you to put down things that you're like, but this makes me happy. And his His words would be it's not making you whole. It's actually keeping you from wholeness. Are you willing to lay that down, to set it down? Now here's the big surprise. Where does Matthew go? Right after he stands, leaves, and follows. He doesn't go to church, he doesn't go to synagogue, he throws a party, he prepares a banquet. The first thing Matthew does is he fills another table. This table that he used to be obsessed with holding on to, that Jesus is leading him away from, involves people sitting at a table with him, which is very dangerous for people who are self-centered. It's very dangerous to sit at another table. Imagine it, laughter is starting to happen around the table. Conversation is starting to happen around the table, and these guys are like, Matthew, what's the deal, bro? Is it true? You really leaving behind all this? You really settling for following Jesus? Like you're giving up all the wealth and the house and the things and for this guy? Yeah, man, it's pretty crazy. I don't really know what's gonna happen next. I'm not sure where this is going or where this is gonna take me, but I just know Jesus said, follow me. Right? Can you see Matthew trying to tell Jesus? Jesus, tell him about the speech you gave me when I followed you. Yeah, he said, follow me. Like, can you imagine it? Can you imagine? Like all of them were like, that's all he said to you? Like he didn't promise you anything else, he didn't promise you fame, fortune, everything would go your way, freedom from suffering, that everything would be awesome. No, he just said, follow me, bro. That's all he said, and that's all I have to go on. But what I know of Jesus is better than the life that I have been chasing on my own. Tax collectors and sinners. And there's Jesus right in the middle of it all. Right? But notice, notice who the guest of honor is now. It's Jesus. Matthew's not the center of the table anymore. Jesus is the center. Everything has changed. And here's where everyone would be. Well, as a Christian, your table has to get bigger. We love to say phrases like that. Your table has to get bigger and longer and wider. But here's the deal: Matthew's table didn't just get bigger. The center of Matthew's table has to change. In order for your table to truly be wider, longer, bigger, more people at the table, the center has to change. If you're still the center of the table, nothing's changing. The table size will change, but it changes because the center of the table changes. Jesus is the guest of honor. Now watch what happens around him as the new center. At the money table, because Matthew was the center, people existed to serve Matthew. At the banquet table, because Jesus is the center, Matthew serves others. There's a change that begins to happen as the center of your table changes. At the money table, Matthew took and took and took, and at the banquet table, Matthew gives. At the money table, people left feeling small and insignificant. But at Jesus' table, people leave with wonder and hope. And honestly, the beauty of Jesus calling one of the worst of the worst sinners, you are supposed to walk away going, if Jesus can forgive and call Matthew, he can forgive and call me too. You are supposed to walk away going, that dude, he's terrible. And if Jesus will go and sit with him, he could sit with me. He could call me. He could be near me. At the old table, Matthew is isolated, and at the new table, people gather. We talk about community. This is community. I don't want us to believe Matthew stopped struggling overnight because I don't believe he did. He had years of bad habits, of taking from people, stealing from people, finding his worth and having all that stuff. Years of greed, years of selfish instincts, years of identity built around wealth. Following Jesus is not pretending the money table never existed. Following Jesus is learning to love another table more. Some of us, we spend every moment going, I don't want to go back to the old table. I don't want to go back to the old table. I'm not going back to the old table when we forget that we've been invited to the new table. And then the more time we spend around that new table, the less attractive the old table becomes. Every meal with Jesus, Jesus teaches Matthew new generosity. Every conversation with Jesus, Jesus reshapes Matthew's desires. Every act of hospitality loosens Matthew's grip on the old table. But it starts with Jesus at the center. Little by little the banquet table becomes Matthew's home. And watch this the money table begins losing its power. Most Christians believe being a disciple is refusing the old table. Being a disciple is learning how to sit around the new table. That's what it is. And again, the church has done a really poor job of helping people understand what it means to follow Jesus into new life because all we want people to do is just not do the bad life. We don't model it, we don't talk about it, we don't spend it together, but Christ intended for every one of us to reveal that He is King, He is on His throne, and one day at the marriage Supper of the Lamb, we will see it in total. And that will be a day. As we close our time, then you and the team can come. There's another group that we haven't directly addressed yet, and that's the Pharisees. It's the religious guys that we met last week. Those who were tasked with telling everyone that the kingdom of God will only come about if bad people stop being bad and the good people keep being good, and we're gonna tell you which table you get to sit at. But ironically, the Pharisees had their money table too. They had a table that they needed to leave because they themselves were the guests of honor, not Jesus. Their table wasn't full of money, their table was actually full of their own righteousness, their own status, their own ideas of what it meant to be good enough, their recognition, being right, their table is built around themselves just as much as Matthew's was. That was the funny part to all of this, and that the Pharisees couldn't see that. That's why they can't understand Jesus. Verse 30. But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus' disciples. Why do you eat and drink with such scum? Okay, well, tell us how you really feel. Jesus answered them. Healthy people don't need a doctor, sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they're righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent. When Jesus says it's not the healthy who need a physician, it's the sick, he's saying, My table is not for impressive people, for people who think they have no need. It's for the people who know they need healing. Jesus gives us his understanding of sin, and boy does he understand its rebellion against God, but boy, he knows that it's a sickness we cannot cure ourselves from. This is not belittling Jesus' view of sin by saying that Jesus sees sin as sickness. It gets to the heart of it. The reason we rebel against God is because we're sick. The reason we don't love our neighbor as we love ourselves is because we're sick. The reason we don't rejoice at God's kingdom and his throne and him being in charge, we're sick. I want you to imagine Matthew just a few years later. I'm actually really glad as I was considering this story this week. I'm really glad that Matthew stood up, let go of his table, and followed Jesus. Part of the reason is because we have the gospel of Matthew because of his yes to Jesus. You never know. You never know what Jesus could use you for in the world by just saying yes to stepping out and following him into real life. You just don't know. Matthew spent about 15 years helping Jewish people understand Jesus is the Messiah. Like the Old Testament promised the Messiah. Matthew spent about 15 years after Jesus ascended to heaven helping Jewish people go, Jesus, stop looking for the Messiah. He's him. He's him. Right? And church history tells us that Matthew made his way all the way to Ethiopia and he began to share the gospel there. Was later killed for his faith. But I wonder if anyone ever asked Matthew in his days of ministry, Matthew, do you ever miss your old money table, man? Right? Do you ever remember the money, the power, the security? And then maybe in Matthew's mind, he looks across the table and he can remember Jesus laughing. He can remember all the other sinners sitting around that table asking all the questions of like, is God really like this? Could God really come close and hang out with sinners like us? Could he really heal our sick hearts like he says he can? Lonely people becoming family, sinners being forgiven, bread being broken with the weirdest crowd of people you will ever eat with? Right? Tables beginning to actually reflect this loving neighbor, loving God? Men, women, slave, free, barbarian, civilized, Jew, Greek, all sitting around the same table together, eating? Unheard of until Jesus. Maybe Matthew could hear Paul trying to describe his own story in Romans 5.8. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Jesus called Matthew in the middle of Matthew doing his absolute worst. This is a game changer for the way we frame God's love for us. Matthew just smiles at that question: do you miss it? Nah man, this table, this table is way better. This banquet table, you're gonna want to pull up a seat to this one. This is what we were made for. This is what we were meant to experience. Every one of you, every one of us is gonna sit at one table tomorrow morning. One of these tables is gonna tell you to build your own castle. You're gonna hear that so strong tomorrow. You're gonna hear build your own castle at your own little money table, and some of you are gonna love that invitation. The other table is gonna say, Welcome to the kingdom of God. One of those tables is gonna ask, What can I get out of all of this? The other table is gonna ask, Who can I love? Who can I serve? One of those tables is gonna put you in the center seat of honor. You're gonna love that. You just will. I promise. You're gonna love hearing I'm the center. The other table is gonna invite you to give that seat to Jesus. That will be your battle tomorrow. And here's the good news for you today. Jesus is still walking up to our money tables, and he's still saying the same two words he said to Matthew. Follow me. We just wanted to say thank you for listening to the Highland Christian Church podcast today. And if you ever want to connect with us, send prayer requests, ask questions, or for any other reason, you can visit our website, www.highlandchristian.com, or you can send us an email at infohlychristian.com. God bless you guys.