The Oxford dictionary defines an assumption as “a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof”. I feel like this definition, especially the last 2 words properly captures what I want to write about today.

I was reading the book of Matthew today in the Bible. There comes a moment after the writer of the gospel starts following Jesus, where his new Rabbi comes to his house to eat. The verse below tells us what happens at the meal.

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Matthew 9:10-11

Let’s do a little background work here regarding their question.

Tax collectors, as you will know, were not popular figures. They were Jews who were concluding with the occupying Romans. Because of their collusion, and often dishonesty, they were often quite wealthy but as they had made that wealth off taxing their own people their popularity was low. Matthew was a tax collector and so didn’t have many friends who weren’t either tax collectors or were on the outskirts of society. While we don’t know what kind of ‘sinners’ were also present we can easily assume that they also weren’t held in high regard or else they wouldn’t have been hanging out at Matthew’s house.

The other thing that is worth noting is that eating in Jewish culture was a big deal. I get that eating is a big deal everywhere, I mean the act of eating together. Eating together was a holy act built into the fabric of the Jewish world. It was both covenant and connection. To eat with someone was a reminder that you were a part of something bigger, a part of God’s family.

Adding those two things together, the message that Jesus was sending by eating with these people was that He was in covenant, and wanted connection, with the very people who had betrayed the Jews and other people who had sinned against God.

Is that clear?

So, it would make sense to us why the Pharisees might ask why Jesus was choosing to eat with them. Their question probably preceded a bunch of other questions they might have had like; why would He engage in a holy act with a group of people who were clearly unholy? Did He accept their behaviours? Was He marking them as clean, holy, worthy of God’s Kingdom? Most likely they would have made assumptions, understandable ones, about what they were seeing and were concluding that Jesus was doing something very wrong.

We will find out in a minute that their assumptions weren’t correct but let’s pause with that lesson for a minute.

It’s easy as a follower of Jesus who knows what comes next to scoff at the Pharisees. I think of them as being small minded, uneducated, and completely missing the point of the gospel. Whilst ultimately most of them did get it very wrong I wonder what I would have thought if I’d seen the same thing in my day and age.

I think about things I see today and how I have probably come to wrong assumptions so many times. Perhaps I’ve watched as someone who loves Jesus walks out of somewhere with a poor reputation or is hanging around with someone who is questionable in their behaviour. Perhaps I’ve seen something about them posting on social media or have heard a story from someone else. Often, without any real proof, I create a story about them in my head which leads me to a conclusion about their character, their actions, and therefore how my interactions with them should go. Whilst I ‘might’ end up being correct about that person this is the wrong way to go about it because so often there is way more to the story than what I have seen.

When we return to the story we find in Matthew we read this;

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:12-13

The story moves on to another interaction from here but if we just look at Jesus’ response to their question we can see a few things that are being straightened out.

Let’s look at my list of questions that I have ‘assumed’ the Pharisees might have been asking (yes, I get the irony of this sentence)

• Why would He engage in a holy act with a group of people who were clearly unholy? He was doing this because He wanted to help them, to save them, and to show mercy.
• Did He accept their behaviours? No, He refers to them as sinners or people who were sick which suggests He did not approve of whatever they were or had been getting up to.
• Was He marking them as clean, holy, worthy of God’s Kingdom? Not yet anyway, but He was giving an indication that through His mercy they would have a chance of coming into the Kingdom.

That changes things right?

I mean a number of the Pharisees still didn’t like how Jesus was going about things and wouldn’t agree with His assessment of these people, but when we understand what was going on here we realise that their assumptions, and mine if I had of been there, was very wrong.

The same happens for us today doesn’t it? My hypothetical examples earlier could have a completely different conclusion if I was able to talk to and listen to the person I was referring to. They might have been in that questionable place sharing the gospel with those inside. The person they were helping may have been a long term friend they are supporting or aiding. The social media stuff might easily be explained. Being with them doesn’t necessarily mean that they themselves are doing something bad or approving of those places or people.

So, what’s my point?

Well, I guess let’s be careful about our assumptions about the situations we encounter. I’m not saying we don’t use wisdom or discernment but let’s be careful we don’t wrongfully write something or someone off or include them/it simply because of how it looks on the surface. Let’s take the time to ask questions and understand where we can and of course ask the Lords wisdom in every situation.