He was at table

He was at table

Have you ever noticed how often Jesus ministered around a dinner table?   He feasted at a wedding at Cana.   He dined with Pharisees.   He dined with sinners.   He shared the Last Supper with his disciples on the night before he died.   He even ate with them after his resurrection!   It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that Jesus ate his way through the Gospels!

In all the cultures of the ancient Near East, the sharing of a common meal was more than a casual event.   It’s how the leaders of warring nations ratified peace treaties;  it’s how weddings were celebrated;  it’s how people recalled and celebrated major events in their history.   So it’s no surprise that Jesus spent so much time eating with his people—and teaching them as he did.

In the Gospel (Mark 2:15),  we see Jesus sharing a dinner with Levi (whom we also know as Matthew) and a group of his friends—all of them “tax collectors and sinners” (Mark 2:16).   Levi probably never expected to have the privilege of sharing a table with a respected rabbi, let alone to have this man welcome his friends as disciples.   But that’s exactly the point of the meal.   Jesus wanted to make it very clear to Levi, to his friends, and especially to his detractors, that he will refuse no one who comes to him.   There is no such thing as an unworthy disciple.   He will embrace everyone who takes even the smallest step toward him.

This is wonderful news!   Jesus wants to share a meal with you.   Of course he welcomes you to the table of the Eucharist, but he also wants to join you at your everyday meals in your own home.   He knows that you are a sinner just like everyone else, but he also knows that you love him and want to follow him.   And that’s all he needs.

Whenever you sit down to eat, remember that Jesus is there with you.   He is there whether you dine alone or with loved ones, whether you eat atop a mahogany banquet table or in a soup kitchen cafeteria, and even if you’re sitting in front of the television watching the news.   He is with you, ready to enjoy your company.   So welcome him, the friend of sinners, to your table.

Word Among Us