In the ancient Middle East, people took hospitality more seriously than most of us, and were more guarded with whom they ate. Most cultures had dietary restrictions and taboos. In some instances, eating the wrong food could render a person ritually unclean.
But whereas the Pharisees avoided contact with ‘sinners’ so that they would not become ritually unclean, Jesus befriended sinners – because He believed that His holiness was contagious.
The ancient Israelites formed a classic example of dietary practices. The Law given at Mount Sinai became the basis of kosher laws that prevented the Israelites from eating certain meats and shellfish (Lev.11). Over the centuries, this often prevented them from accepting dinner invitations from non-Israelites, lest they defile themselves by eating at the same table or in the same home as those who were, from their perspective, ceremonially unclean.
