Seeking a Pattern - 3
When following Jesus through the gospels, I find a couple of paths repeated over and over. These paths are proclaiming and performing the gospel. Jesus not only taught the good news, He also lived by the principles He taught. Luke in his gospel includes 10 different meal settings where Jesus talks about the good news and demonstrates it by eating with different people.
John Mark Hicks does a good job of relating how much of Jesus’ ministry was centered on meals in his book Come to the Table. Jesus ate and fellowshipped with a wide variety people, those that were believers, the just curious, the poor, the rich, the outcast, the religious leaders, in essence anyone He could find. Sometimes He was the host, sometimes He invited himself, or sometimes He was invited to a meal. One of the major differences in their culture between the religious leaders and the common people was the concept of ceremonial cleanliness. The Jewish leaders’ concern for this belief was a major point of disagreement between them and Jesus. When Jesus ate with “tax-gatherers and sinners” the Pharisees just knew he couldn’t be from God as they were unclean, but the common people loved Him for it. These meal sessions are examples of Jesus proclaiming the gospel and performing the gospel.
I believe one reason Luke puts such emphasis on shared meals is because, there is an intimacy that can be shared when eating together that is not present at other times. This intimacy is not a guaranteed result, as it can be stifled, but it is usually the beginning of a bond that grows with more shared meals. Even though eating together is a blessing, it is hard in today’s culture to find time to share meals and get to know others. It’s hard just to get a single family together for a meal, let alone several.
John Mark Hicks does a good job of relating how much of Jesus’ ministry was centered on meals in his book Come to the Table. Jesus ate and fellowshipped with a wide variety people, those that were believers, the just curious, the poor, the rich, the outcast, the religious leaders, in essence anyone He could find. Sometimes He was the host, sometimes He invited himself, or sometimes He was invited to a meal. One of the major differences in their culture between the religious leaders and the common people was the concept of ceremonial cleanliness. The Jewish leaders’ concern for this belief was a major point of disagreement between them and Jesus. When Jesus ate with “tax-gatherers and sinners” the Pharisees just knew he couldn’t be from God as they were unclean, but the common people loved Him for it. These meal sessions are examples of Jesus proclaiming the gospel and performing the gospel.
I believe one reason Luke puts such emphasis on shared meals is because, there is an intimacy that can be shared when eating together that is not present at other times. This intimacy is not a guaranteed result, as it can be stifled, but it is usually the beginning of a bond that grows with more shared meals. Even though eating together is a blessing, it is hard in today’s culture to find time to share meals and get to know others. It’s hard just to get a single family together for a meal, let alone several.
posted by Johnny | 5:10 PM
1 Comments:
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