Have you seen the posts that go around that talk about Jesus flipping tables? They’re often silly and used sarcastically to portray that the person posting is frustrated with something. I’ll admit, I’ve used them to send to friends before. I saw a post the other day that posed a good question, “Are we sitting at tables Jesus would have flipped?”
I think it’s a great question to ask ourselves and presents an opportunity to evaluate our friendships, friend groups, and conversations. Who are we allowing to speak into our lives? What is the purpose of these friendships? Are we living out our walk with Christ and challenging our friends to live their lives holy and consecrated to the Lord?
Recently in a Bible study we had, the person leading asked the question, how do you define friendship? There were many answers but the one I gave was that I cherish friendships where we can challenge each other in the Lord, not only to call out things that we need to adjust, but to encourage and lift up one another.
As I reflected on the question from the first paragraph, the Lord asked me another question, “are we flipping tables where we should be sitting?”
I think if we ask the first question, we must also be diligent to ask the second.
In Mark 11:15-19 we see Jesus traveling to Jerusalem, once He arrives at the temple, He drives out some of the people and this is where He flips the tables. But what was the purpose? Let’s review with these two questions in mind, are we sitting at tables Jesus would have flipped, and are we flipping tables Jesus would be sitting at? The people that were in the temple were those who knew what the temple was for. God said in Isaiah 56:7 that His house will be a house of prayer, and this is the point Jesus is making, the people were exchanging money, being dishonest, selling many things, and the temple was anything but a house of prayer. They needed to be taught and reminded of the purpose of this house.
Now, let’s go over to Mark 2:13-17, here we see Jesus “dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples.” Jesus wasn’t afraid of what the people or “pastors” of His day would say about Him dining with the unlovable, the ungodly, or the lost. I have always loved these scriptures because my heart aches for the lost to know the Lord. But there is a very fundamental truth within these scriptures that, if ignored, can make this table a dangerous one to sit at. We must go to the unlovable, the outcast, and the difficult, Jesus did. However, these people didn’t stay in their sin. After encountering Jesus, they chose to follow Him. We must learn to do the same. Sit and dine with the sinners, but they, through their interaction with the Holy Spirit in us, should choose to follow Jesus and turn from sin. Jesus didn’t sin with these people, and He didn’t continue to go there. He shared Himself with them, talked with them, taught them, and gave them an opportunity to change.
So, let’s pose our two questions again, are we flipping tables where we should be sitting or are we sitting at tables we should be flipping? I hope you understand the reference and that these questions trigger as much thought and contemplation and reflection as it did for me. Yes, the Lord has called us to live righteously and live justly, yes, we are to bring His gospel to the world. However, are we doing that in a manner that flips the tables when actually, that’s a table where Jesus would have sat, talked, taught, and impacted lives forever? Yes, we are called to bring Jesus to this fallen world, yes, that absolutely needs to be done through community and life lived out, but are we sitting at tables with the lost or accepting behavior from those around us in the church when Jesus would have “ran them out”?
I want to challenge you to write these questions down and think about them. I also challenge you to go read the two chapters mentioned, Mark 2 and 11. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.