A Pharisee invites Jesus to his house for dinner. Jesus accepts the invitation. So far so good. Then, however, the Pharisee uses the opportunity to criticize Jesus for his failure to perform the required ritual ablutions before dinner. Rather than focus on the presence of Jesus and learn from him during table ritual, the Pharisee instead takes the opportunity to find fault with Jesus over a lesser matter of the law. Was the intention for the meal all along just an occasion to find fault with Jesus?
Lest we become smug with indignation, consider how often we act in the same manner to other people. How often have we found fault with people invited to the Lord's table rather than celebrate their attendance at all? We look for all sorts of opportunity to criticize others: we don't deem them worthy to partake of the meal; we find fault with their dress attire; we cannot abide their posture or attitude or any other thing. We neglect their presence entirely, and wonder why they don't come back.
Is our attention on the presence of the Lord at his table, or is it on lesser things? What do these distractions of fault finding with others say about ourselves and our lack of attention on the Lord and the lack of attention on rejoicing in the presence of others at the table? The Pharisee in these stories is more often than not ourselves. The Pharisee, ironically, becomes the one unworthy of being in the Lord's presence, not anyone else. But Jesus will still accept their invitation to the table. He will continue to give them - to give us - more chances to get it right at table.
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