Featuring Armando Licoze, Executive Director of Oasis Mozambique, and Blessing Chaipa, Executive Director of Nzeve Zimbabwe. Tearfund has been partnered with Oasis and Nzeve since 2011.
Watercolour on paper
A ‘turned table’ becomes a symbol for the radical nature of Jesus and His desire to overturn the tables of our injustice. In the following chapter of Matthew, Jesus says that ‘you are worth more than many sparrows.’ These sparrows come to represent us. Jesus – the sacrificial dove – does not distance Himself from those who need Him, instead stooping low so that we might all partake in the Bread of Life.
When I look at Matthew 9, what strikes me is the company Jesus chose to keep. He went down to sit with the tax collectors and the sinners – the people everyone else avoided. Ordinary people saw only what was wrong with them, but Jesus looked with deep love. He chose to be in that space, even when it confused those who thought he should stay with the “righteous.” And even the tax collectors, who could have run away from him, stayed. That speaks to me about God’s love: even when we know we are far from him, he still chooses to have a meal with us.
The Pharisees were so confident in the Scriptures, but based on their own understanding. Jesus came to confuse them, because he showed them it’s not about following the script – it’s about loving. And when we love, we go the extra mile because we care. That cannot be defined by the script in a traditional way; it can only be defined by love and the commitment to rescue people. The Pharisees got real uncomfortable because Jesus’ welcome diluted them. They felt maybe incompetent, or that he didn’t represent them, even betrayed them. And that happens in our own lives: we see people we think are “not qualified” by our prejudice, and still we find God loving them, staying with them in their vulnerable moments.
Lent is an invitation to ask: where am I like the Pharisees, choosing distance because it is easier? Who am I refusing to sit with at the table? Jesus says, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Mercy widens our welcome. Mercy transforms us.
Shared by Som Chan Mony, the Executive Director of Tearfund’s partner Peace Bridges Organization, Cambodia. Peace Bridges provides training in peace building and conflict resolution, aiming to reduce domestic and other social violence, leading to restored relationships within families and throughout the community.
God of all people,You see the quiet struggles in our homes, our villages, and our nation—
the words not spoken, the wounds carried in silence,
the fears that divide neighbours, families, and faiths.
We pray for peace that begins close to the ground,
in kitchens where couples learn to speak gently again,
in forest communities where men and women stand together
to protect creation without violence,
in conversations where Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, and Indigenous leaders
choose respect over suspicion.
Strengthen those who sit at difficult tables—
community leaders negotiating with authorities,
youth supporting their families,
women raising their voices with courage,
and all who work quietly to prevent conflict before it grows.
Where relationships are broken,
bring patience to listen and humility to repair.
Where communities are under pressure,
give wisdom to act with compassion and fairness.
Where our country feels uncertain,
grant hope that peace can rise from ordinary people
who choose empathy over fear.
Make our tables places of welcome, not exclusion;
justice, not exploitation;
healing, not blame.
And let the peace we long for begin with us.
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