Alas! They said of Jesus "He eats with publicans and sinners." Whom you dined with was whom you identified with in that and most ancient cultures. It even holds true today in certain places, maybe in most. Whom you ate with was your family and friends as close as family. Funny isn't it that many who go by the name of "Christian" are oh so careful with whom THEY associate. When a certain disciple came to Jesus to tell him that his mother was without the crowd, trying to get in to see him, he threw out his hand and said "This is my mother and brothers and sisters.