Come and Eat!

Food is at the center of everything we do, whether we are overwhelmingly busy or have lots of time on our hands. We may put off cleaning, laundry, or that project that has lived on our to-do list for way to long. But we never go for too long without eating. Most of us are privileged enough to know where our next meal is coming from, and we rarely forget to eat. Food is the way we care for the people we love and the way we celebrate a special occasion. Food gives us a reason to get together and share our stories. The savory and sweet aromas of certain foods has the power to instantly make us feel at home. We gather after church around a table of good food to catch up on the details of each other’s lives, and hopefully leave with the knowledge that we are loved, known, and belong.

In John 6:37 Jesus says, “Everything the Father gives to me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away.” In other words, all are welcome at God’s table. No one will be turned away. No exceptions. We humans have a hard time wrapping our mind around that kind of welcome. So did the religious leaders of Jesus’s time. The need to eat is the most fundamental and universal human need. Jesus is telling us that, if you’re someone who eats, you are qualified to come to His table. Not only are you allowed to come, but you belong there. The meal was made for you; not the new-improved, once-you-get-your-act-together you. You, just as you are. This kind of welcome isn’t always comfortable or easy because it means there will be a whole lot of folks we might not invite if it were our table. God’s VIP list looks very different from ours. New Testament scholar David Rensberger says Jesus is “wisdom’s persistent address to the world.” As we go about our lives, preparing and eating from so many different tables, let us remember that the One Who Welcomes, “wisdom’s persistent address to the world,” has set a wide open table. At His table we are all loved, known, and belong. Your place is set. Come and eat!