Most everyone has experienced that cringeworthy moment. You’re making a guest list for a holiday, dinner, or celebration, and that person’s name comes to mind. Maybe it’s a no-filter grandparent or that uncle whose voice sounds like he’s superglued a megaphone to his mouth. It’s the person whose name makes you think I really should invite them, but then I’ll feel like I have to apologize to all the other guests for their presence.
When writer Aubrey Sampson reads the gospels, she sees just such a guest. It’s someone who defies societal rules around the dinner table, who dives deep into divisive topics like religion, politics, and sin when others in the room would rather discuss just about anything else. He’s awkward, disinterested in niceties, and unafraid.
His name is Jesus.
“He’s constantly saying things that ought not to be uttered in polite society,” writes Sampson. “Yet I love him for it. Jesus is unafraid to speak truth to power, to ruffle feathers.”
It’s important to note that Jesus’ purpose in feather-ruffling is not merely to stir the pot. It’s not to offend or cause trouble. Instead, it’s to demonstrate the love of God—a love that goes far deeper than upholding social norms—in all settings.
So, next time we’re tempted to apologize for the awkward, or find a way around inviting the irksome, let’s remember that Jesus disrupted the status quo of many a dinner party. And in doing so, he not only testified to the wildness of the gospel, but he set a table where all might belong.
