Imagine walking into a room where you feel completely out of place. Maybe you don’t look the part. Maybe you don’t know the right people. Maybe you carry a past that others won’t let you forget.
Now, imagine Jesus sitting at the center of that room. He sees you – not just as you are, but as you could be. He doesn’t look away. He doesn’t whisper behind your back. Instead, he makes room at the table and welcomes you in.
In this week’s reading from Luke’s Gospel, a woman with a reputation – one that everyone seems to know – enters a Pharisee’s house and kneels at Jesus’ feet. She doesn’t speak. She doesn’t defend herself. She simply weeps, washes his feet with her tears, and anoints them with costly perfume. And while the others at the table see her as a sinner, Jesus sees her as someone worthy of love, grace, and belonging.
This passage invites us to wrestle with a hard question: Who do we struggle to welcome at our tables?
Do we make room for the ones whose pasts make us uncomfortable?
Do we hesitate to extend grace to those we think should have “known better”?
Do we see ourselves as more deserving than others?
Jesus flips the script. He reminds us that God’s table isn’t about worthiness – it’s about grace. It’s not about social status, reputation, or rules – it’s about love that sees beyond all of that.
So this week, reflect on this:
Who in your life might need a seat at your table?
Where might Jesus be calling you to extend grace instead of judgment?
And how can we, as a community, reflect Christ’s radical welcome?
Because in the kingdom of God, the table is bigger than we imagine – and there’s always room for one more.
