Faith Lens: Longer Tables for the Lost and Found
Faith Lens is a weekly Bible study that engages youth and young adults in connecting world events with the Bible, faith, and everyday life.
Prepare (This section is preparation for the leader, not content meant for the whole group.)
The heart of this passage is the pair of parables about the lost sheep and the lost coin. Yet the two sentences before them provide essential context for understanding the stories Jesus tells. Crowds continue to follow him, but this particular group receives special mention: tax collectors and sinners. It’s worth unpacking the baggage these titles carry. Tax collectors were seen as corrupt, wealthy collaborators with Rome, collecting what Rome demanded—and often a little extra for themselves. “Sinners” is a broader term used throughout the New Testament to describe anyone with a reputation for wrongdoing and an unwillingness to repent. In short, these are society’s outcasts. And it is precisely these people with whom Jesus chooses to share his meals.
This is not new in Luke. A major theme of the gospel is table fellowship. Meals are never just meals; they are moments of revelation, teaching, reversal, and inclusion. Luke uses shared meals to reveal whom Jesus welcomes, challenges, and brings into God’s kingdom. This is why Jesus is accused of being “a glutton and a drunkard” (Luke 7:34): he eats with anyone and everyone.
What follows from the religious leaders’ complaint—that Jesus welcomes and eats with those he shouldn’t—is Jesus’ explanation of why he does so, told in story form. The parables highlight the extravagant welcome and relentless pursuit of outsiders. In an agrarian society like Jesus’, no shepherd would realistically leave ninety-nine sheep to search for one; the cost of losing more would be too great. Likewise, the woman’s persistence is underscored by the painstaking tasks she undertakes to ensure her coin is found. In both cases, the conclusion is the same: celebration. Each throws a party that seems excessive. And yet that is exactly what God’s welcome, love, and grace in Jesus are—extravagant, relentless, excessive.
Opening Exercise
Watch this news segment on a special lunch served in Denver, CO. After watching the video, participants get in pairs or groups of three and talk about a meal they shared that was meaningful to them and why?
Read Aloud
Longer Tables for the Lost and Found
Mile Long Table in Denver – Credit: Longer Tables
In late July over 3,400 people ate at the longest table in the United States. People from all over joined together for a meal. The event was put on by Longer Tables, a nonprofit whose mission is to “bring people from all walks of life together to create connection and belonging through shared meals.” Tom Jones, the founder, calls the table “the most powerful connector.”
He’s right. Longer Tables wants all people—no matter their story, background, or identity—to connect, be seen, and feel like they belong. In a time of deep polarization, rising loneliness, and widespread isolation, this work is vital.
But here’s the thing: as beautiful as that vision is, it’s not new. The church has known and practiced this for nearly two millennia. And perhaps no one knew it better than Jesus.
Luke tells us again and again that Jesus shared meals with people. So much so that he earned a reputation for being a glutton (Luke 7:34). And it wasn’t just that he ate with his closest friends—he ate with all sorts of people. Poor fishermen. Women. Massive crowds. High-ranking religious leaders. And yes, tax collectors and sinners; the ones society saw as corrupt, immoral, or beyond redemption. These were the very people Jesus welcomed at his table. And that made the religious leaders grumble.
That’s where our passage in Luke 15 picks up. When accused of eating with the wrong people, Jesus explains why through two parables: the lost sheep and the lost coin. Both stories showcase God’s relentless pursuit of those who have wandered off or been pushed aside. No shepherd would risk ninety-nine sheep for one. No woman would throw a party over finding a single coin. Yet Jesus insists this is exactly how God works—going to ridiculous lengths to seek, welcome, and celebrate the lost.
In that light, Jesus is doing something even more radical than Longer Tables. He made sure that the very people no one wanted at the table—the outcasts, the ones with the wrong reputation, the ones everyone else avoided—were not only invited but present. And when they were found and welcomed, heaven itself rejoiced.
That raises a hard but important question for us: Who is sitting at your table? Who isn’t? Who should be? With school in full swing, this is the perfect time to pause and ask: Who have we left out? Who needs to hear, through us, a word of welcome and belonging?
Maybe it’s the person with whom you disagree politically. Perhaps it’s someone who has hurt you or carries a reputation you’d rather avoid. Or it’s the neighbor who feels forgotten. Whoever comes to mind, remember: these are the very people Jesus sought out and welcomed.
That welcome is still the model for us today. It’s the kind of connection the world is starving for. And when it happens—when the lost are found, when the table is extended, when grace is shared—it’s always worth celebrating.
Reflection Questions
What is the mission of Longer Tables, and how does it connect people?
How does Jesus’ practice of table fellowship go even further than what Longer Tables is doing?
Of all the characters in the passage (Jesus, tax collector, sinner, Pharisee, lost sheep, etc), with whom do you identify in the passage and why?
If Jesus welcomed those society avoided, who are we be called to welcome to our own tables today?
Closing Activity
Try this guided meditation with your group:
Find a quiet, comfortable space and close your eyes. Imagine a table in front of you—it could be your kitchen table, where you eat lunch at school, or even the longest table you can dream of.
First, picture the people who normally sit at your table. Family, friends, the ones you know and love. Give thanks for them. (Pause)
Now, imagine the people Jesus often welcomed—the ones who were overlooked, avoided, or judged. Who comes to mind for you? Hold them in prayer. (Pause)
Finally, picture Jesus at the table. See him smiling, passing food, making space, and reminding you that there is room for everyone—including you. (Pause)
Take a deep breath in. Hold it briefly. Breathe all the way out. Open your eyes.
Final Prayer
Jesus, help us to make room at our tables the way you make room at yours. Amen
Bio
Cogan Blackmon is a pastor who believes the church is at its best when it listens closely to the stories people carry. As Associate Pastor of Cross of Grace Lutheran Church in New Palestine, Indiana, and editor of Faith Lens, he explores the intersection of scripture, culture, and everyday life, sharing reflections that help readers see faith in fresh ways. Outside of ministry and editing, you’ll likely find him with a cup of coffee in hand, exploring local food and beverage venues with his family, or listening to folk and Americana music.
