A lot of Jesus’ ministry was centered around meals:
- He performed his first miracle at a wedding feast.
- He fed 5000 people on a hill in the countryside.
- The night before his crucifixion, he ate a meal with his closest friends.
- After his resurrection he shared breakfast on the beach with his disciples.
“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and ‘sinners’ came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and “sinners”?’ On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” Matthew 9:9-13
“The Son of Man (that’s one of Jesus’ favorite way of referring to Himself) came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.’” Luke 7:34-35
“When we invite friends for a meal, we do much more than offer them food for their bodies. We offer friendship, fellowship, good conversation, intimacy, and closeness. When we say, ‘Help yourself… take some more… don’t be shy… have another glass…’ we offer our guests not only our food and drink but also ourselves. A spiritual bond grows, and we become food and drink for one another.”
Henri J.M. Nouwen
Common Excuses of why we don’t include others:
Excuse #1: “I don’t like to have people in my home.”
Excuse #2: “I wouldn’t know what to say.”
Excuse #3: “I just don’t have time.”
“Sharing meals together on a regular basis is one of the most sacred practices we can engage in as believers. Missional hospitality is a tremendous opportunity to extend the kingdom of God. We can literally eat our way into the kingdom of God! If every Christian household regularly invited a stranger or a poor person into their home for a meal once a week, we would literally change the world by eating!”
Alan Hirsch and Lance Ford
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