Have a Party!

Have you ever heard of throwing a Matthew’s Party? In Luke 5:29, one of Jesus’ disciples, Matthew (also called Levi), throws a party for his friends - both Christian and non-Christian alike.  He invited his unsaved tax-collecting friends, and his saved friends – some of which who were so religious they thought it was weird to be socializing with those pegged as culturally unsavory folk of the time. On the outside, it was nothing more than a party, but from a deeper perspective, it was a party meant to join Matthew’s old life with his new life.  It is during mixers like this that Matthew’s non-believing friends got to get a glimpse into his new life.

When Matthew left his lucrative career as a tax-collector, his fellow colleagues of the day must have thought, “what is he thinking giving up all the great things in his life to follow a homeless rabbi (Jesus)?” Bill Hybels talks about this in his book Just a Walk Across the Room.

Within a quick 200 page text, Hybels raises this question to his readers: “What if redirecting a person’s forever really is as simple as walking across a room?" Essentially, if you are believer, and you have experienced the powerful saving grace of Jesus in your life, you are bound to be so stoked and excited that you want to tell everyone you know about it. One of the easiest ways Hybels suggests doing this is to throw a party. Invite your Christian friends and non-Christian friends alike. Don’t make it awkward, just make it fun!

It all comes down to an invitation. Through all the ups and downs, frustrations, trials, and battles of the heart – I can honestly say I love my life, and I want my friends to know why. I desperately want them to be able to experience the joy and liberation derived from having an intimate and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The first step is as easy as inviting someone to see for themselves.