The Table is Set

“I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you…” Luke 22:15 NLT

Encounter: Take a moment and gaze at the print above. Allow your eyes to wonder over the print and take in the scene of the “Last Supper,” painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1498. After a few minutes of gazing, take your time and read Luke 22:14 – 20.

Through the month of August, we have been exploring the possibility of allowing God to change us into a new person by changing the way we think (Romans 12:2).

As September begins with our traditional time of Holy Communion, I wanted to challenge us one more time to consider how God might be working within you as He invites you to His table.

I remember my first experience with fine dining. I had traveled to Rhode Island for a National Student Council Conference the summer before my senior year of High School. One night of the conference was to be formal dining with suits and ties for the gentlemen and dresses for the ladies. I remember being terrified of what to expect. I was just a country boy from rural Wells County and had never experienced eating a meal with so many different eating utensils in front of me. Would I remember which fork to use when? Would I remember to unbutton my suit jacket when I sat down and button it back up when I stood? Would I drop food on my suit?

The table was set with more eating utensils, plates, and glasses than I was prepared for, and I would be sitting with several other students from across the nation who I would not know. It was overwhelming and exciting all at the same time as we had an opportunity to eat and share in the experience of what it is like to lead in schools big and small.

Jesus invites us to His table. There is no need to be anxious or nervous. He simply wants to spend time with you and share His love for you. Luke 22, verse 15 Jesus tells us that “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins.”

A table is to be a place where people are welcome to sit, fellowship, and enjoy more than the food that has been prepared, but the company of one another. Jesus was excited to sit with His disciples to eat this special meal with them. This would be the last time He would sit with them to share in the Passover meal until the time when all are present in the Kingdom. All meaning you and I along with those who are invited but don’t even know about the big meal yet.

We are to continue to come to the table to remember what Jesus did for us as the Passover lamb sacrificed for our sins. The bread is the body of Christ. Each time we take the piece of bread, we are to remember the sacrifice he endured for our sins because of His great love for us. The wine or juice, the blood of Christ, is to be the new covenant between each of us and God; a covenant of freedom from the captivity of sin and death.

Reflect: Take time to reflect upon a meal when people were gathering and there were nerves or anxiousness of the gathering. Consider what the anxiousness was about. Then consider the table that Jesus invites you to attend with Him. Think about the great love He has for you with no expectation other than to come to Him as you are. There is no need to wear your suit and tie or the dress of all dresses. There is no need to worry about which eating utensil to use when.

He wants you to come as you are. Open your heart to Him and pour out your struggles and sins and hear His words speak to you; “You are forgiven!” “I have taken all of that away to give you life.” “Come, eat and share in my love for you!”

Spiritual Practice: Gaze at the image above once again. Take notice of where your gaze lands. Close your eyes and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you why you are drawn to this part of the image. Be still and breath, listening for the Holy Spirit’s guiding. Open your eyes and gaze upon the image again and begin to zoom out and see if there is another part of the image attracting your attention. Study it for a moment. Then close your eyes once again and listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. One more time, open your eyes and gaze at the whole image and this time, sit and stare at the image and listen for an invitation from the Holy Spirit. Take some time at the end and write what comes to mind as you sit with God and reflect upon this experience.

Gather: As you gather in your small groups, take a moment and reflect upon meals big and small and what your experience was before, during and after. Then consider your time in Holy Communion and what you experience before, during and after.

Reflect on these questions;

1)      How do you approach a meal at home or at gatherings? Do you approach with a full mind of things to do or say? Or do you approach the meal with love and gratitude for what has been prepared and who you are experiencing this meal with?

2)      How do you approach Holy Communion? Have you prepared your heart before coming on Sunday morning to approach the table? Or have you forgotten and have a full mind and heart as you approach the table?

3)      What help do you need to approach mealtime or Holy communion with an open heart and open mind to see Jesus’ invitation before you?