+Z’ev

Today’s Lections:

Daniel 6:16-28
3 John 1:1-15
Luke 5:27-39

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up, left everything, and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them.
Luke 5:27-29

One reading of Church history reads that, as a result of the problems in some early congregations where potluck meals were not shared equally among all in the community, the Hierarchy decided to separate communion from the Agape feast to preserve the sanctity of the “Holy Mysteries. ” Another read of Church history is that the “patriarchy” had to control things and so they took the sacrament away from the larger open meetings and create an exclusionist liturgy. I think a likelier reading is that in the face of persecution something got squirrelled away for safe keeping (liturgically speaking) and when, 300 years later, the world became safe, the Church had forgotten how to be open, and so stayed closed. As in all cases of liturgical innovation, first there is a need (in this case, safety) and then later there is a theological reason (let’s hide it until “initiation”). The theological meaning gets read backwards so as to justify the change and thus, when the change is no longer needed, it’s too late. Once you theologically justify it, you’re stuck with it for all eternity. That’s how Eastern Orthodoxy works, anyway.

The first thing Levi does after “follow me” is leave everything behind and throw a party for all of his friends, old and new and Jesus in the midst of them. One way to look at this would be to imagine a sort of evangelical “Come to Jesus” meeting (literally). But another way is to imagine “here are two groups of my friends, I hope they all get along in interesting ways”.

Was Levi being an Evangelist or a good, creative host? Are they the same thing?

The pious complain to Jesus: Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?… your disciples eat and drink. (Luke 5: 30b, 33b)

Jesus, of course, knew about fasting. The Gospels have instructions for how to act when fasting. But when, in this passage, he refers to a time when we will not have the bridegroom with us, how do we reconcile that with the reality that he is with us “always, even until the end of the age”? Is not the Eucharist the greatest of feasts where the bridegroom is present with us (in the bread, or in the person of our neighbour - or both? This is why Nicea I forbade fasting on Sundays (although most Orthodox Churches disobey this canon). This is why there is to be no fasting during the 50 days of Easter although, again, most Orthodox Churches choose to ignore this - Antioch being the only church that is “canonical” in this area.

But imagine a celebration of the Bridegroom - with us for all eternity since the Resurrection - that was nothing but eating and drinking with sinners. The pious, today, still accuse more celebratory Christians of doing nothing but eatting and drinking.

Levi’s first act was an essentially Jewish one: invite everyone over for a party. Many of the religious feasts of Judaism (Passover, Purim and Hanukkah, to name three that Jesus and Levi would have known) have been characterised as, “They tried to kill us, they failed, let’s eat!”. Sabbath is a party in the house. There are parties for each of the Life stations (Bris, Bar Mitzvah, Wedding, Death), etc. Like many tribal religions, Judaism makes good party. Christianity, growing away from it’s tribal roots into a more civilised society became less celebratory. The Mass became not a meal of celebration, but a sacred rite. And as the various life stations were added to the Church’s repertoire, they too became imbued with “spookiness”, although secular cultures wisely wove party into the midst of things, so much so that eventually the Church had to forbid certain actions in Lent - because they were too celebratory.

We need to recapture the tribal reality. Our first - our VERY first reaction to Jesus should be to throw a party. The bridegroom is here! Share the wealth.

No sackcloth need apply.