Jesus was criticized by the religiously devout for eating with tax collectors and sinners, and reminded them that mercy is at the heart of our worship of the God who continues to express love for sinners and all on the margins of society. As Jesus called Matthew the tax collector and praised the faith of the hemorrhaging woman, he also calls us to follow him and to reach out to him in our distress. Jesus continues to welcome and eat with sinners, setting a table for us in his holy supper, and sending us forth to be signs of God’s mercy for the world.
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