I enjoy dinner parties! Those great times when good friends come together over good food, perhaps some fine wine - and shared experiences or spirited conversation. Dining together is a most wonderful way to deepen and cement relationships and to appreciate others at depth. In a unique and sometimes mysterious way, it is an expression of union, acceptance and transfer.
Scripture is full of examples of this – and more importantly, of God desiring to dine with us! For example; Isaiah 25:6 ‘on this mountain the Lord has prepared for all people a feast of rich food and fine wines’; Song 2:4 where, ‘he brought me to his banqueting table and his banner over me was love’; and Psalm 23:5 ‘you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies! Jesus loved to share meals with people – with Matthew the tax collector, with Mary and Martha, with Zacchaeus, with his disciples. You could get the impression he actually enjoyed people’s company! It was at a meal that Jesus clothed himself with a towel and washed the disciples’ feet in graphic symbolism of his incarnation, the laying aside of heavenly clothing to clothe himself in human flesh, and as a servant, to wash us and cleanse us (see Jn.13:3-5). It was in the context of a meal that two attitudes were exposed when Mary chose to soak up his company (she was enjoying the main course), while Martha thought he had come to their place only so she could serve him!
now (present tense) at my table in my kingdom and then sit (future tense) on thrones, the twelve tribes of Israel judging’. There is something for here are now – and something for later! In the here and now it is to enjoy the delights of his table! Wow!
What will prevent us being there? In Revelation 3:14-22 we read about a church that moved away from the table. The Laodiceans became duped by what Jesus called, ‘the deceitfulness of riches’. It made Jesus sick (v.16) that people could prefer trade and worldly wealth and fine clothes over what was offered at his table. By moving away from the table they had become ‘wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked’ (v.17). Jesus’ plea is for them to come back to the table and have the best gold and riches and pure white clothing to cover their nakedness, and salve for their now blind eyes. All these things were at his table. (In the case of Martha it was actually ‘service’ that prevented her being where he’d like her to be. David said ‘you prepare a table in midst of my enemies’ and our enemies can be things that keep us from dining with him; busy-ness; trying to do too much, time constraints, distractions, ministry, family affairs or pursuits the world tells us are important and etc.
Had he not said, ‘seek first my kingdom and right order and all these things will be added’? (His kingdom is at his table!) In the case of this church at Laodicea, Jesus said, ‘so be zealous and repent’. What constituted repentance? Simply to hear the knock, re-open the door and allow Jesus back in to do what he always wanted to do; dine with them; share life with them!
This is His heart’s desire: He says, ‘I’m knocking on the door and I want to come in and I want us to share dinner; If you’ll open the door I’ll come in – back to that place of intimacy and enjoyment at the table’. He is not standing afar off. When people have become distracted by the insistent, deceptive and often strident voices of the world system and have left the table, he, as the good shepherd, always goes after them. That’s why he’s always knocking; whenever I become distracted and occupied by things not in his best interest for me; whenever I weaken in resolve; whenever I lend my ear to the world’s loud voice; whenever I’m tempted to dine at another table; whenever circumstances try to tell me his table’s not so good – the menu is better over there -his knock comes. Then it’s up to me to respond. He’s always inviting us to dinner!
Mutual enjoyment: Why does Jesus say, ‘I’ll dine with him and he with me’? Why not just say, ‘I’ll come in and dine with him’? Because he gains enjoyment and blessing from it too! ‘I’ll dine with him’ is for our enjoyment and pleasure; ‘and he with me’, is for his! It’s reciprocal. Yes – Jesus loves our company; loves being with us in the sharing of our life! This is the kind of relationship he is after – an eating and drinking together relationship. There are some Christians who need to know that he doesn’t just love them; he actually likes them! Yes, He is Lord, but he’s a Lord who washes our feet, a Lord who hears our heart, a Lord who wants to give refined, pure and real gold; and fresh garments; and to cause us to see! It’s in his presence that eyes are opened to things not seen elsewhere. Remember the two who walked with the newly alive Jesus to Emmaus? Their hearts ‘burned within’ them as they walked and talked, but it was over the meal that their eyes were opened! (see Lk. 24:30 & 31). ‘Out there’ eyes were dulled and distracted; ‘in there’ they were opened!
The symbol; Communion: it is noteworthy that it was in the middle of dining (‘as they were eating’ Matt. 26:26) that Jesus ‘took bread and gave thanks and broke it’ - and instituted a memorial. How significant this is. What he left with them – and us – is the picture of dining together in ‘joined-ness’ to his life. He was enjoying their presence and friendship over a meal when he said, in effect, ‘now this is how I want to be remembered – us being joined in this wonderful partnership as we eat the same bread and drink the same wine’. He had, as it were ‘eaten of them’ by taking on human-ness. Now they were to eat ‘of him’, joining with him in death and resurrection. It was the apostle Paul who later brought this meaning out in 1 Cor. 10:16, calling the wine and the bread, ‘a partnership’ – (a common union, koinonia) in Jesus’ body and blood. In this, Jesus takes us with him into his death, that we might go with him into resurrection life. And that’s the life he now shares with us at table as we invite him in to dinner – it’s where the exchange takes place! Like Mary, like Zacchaeus, like Matthew, like Peter, James and John, we must learn to enjoy just his presence and his company where we get treasure, where we get re-clothed and covered, where our eyes are healed. At table with him is the only place where this can happen!
Jesus’ invitation to Laodicea ends with words exactly like his words in Luke 22:29-30; ‘to him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne’! Can we see that we must learn how to sit here if we are to sit there? What was to be overcome for the Laodiceans? The propensity to look for somewhere else to sit when what was needed was only available at table with him!
“In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand pleasures forevermore” (Psalm. 16:11)
Ian Heard
March 30, 2014
