A pastor tells how he learned everything he needed to know about life in the dining room. A typical Sunday meal in his mother’s dining room would include roast beef, ham, chicken, string beans, peas, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, potato salad, fruit cup, fruit salad, baked apples, and dessert.
Each meal usually began with the same prayer, “Lord, bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies and our bodies for thy service.” The pastor says it never dawned on him until was preparing his mother’s funeral sermon that this prayer was answered at each meal. The body of each family member was nourished, but more importantly, each family member learned a lesson about God’s welcoming presence through the love their mother modeled for them. No matter how busy, hectic, wonderful, or terrible their week had been, all members of the family knew they were always welcomed at table.
Rev. Charles Swindoll tells of a meal he shared with his family when he suggested to his son, Curtis (who was six) that he should be a good host and serve Charissa (who was four) before he served himself. Naturally, Curtis wondered why, since the platter of chicken sat directly in front of him … and he was as hungry as a lion. Swindoll explained it is polite for boys to serve girls before they serve themselves. The rule sounded odd, but Curtis was willing to give it a try as long as his sister did not take too long.
After the blessing, Curtis picked up the huge platter, held it for his sister, and asked which piece of chicken she wanted. His sister had no idea which piece was which. So, very seriously she replied, “I’d like the foot.” Curtis glanced in his father’s direction, frowned as the hunger pains shot through his stomach, then looked back at her and said, “Uh …. Charissa, Mother doesn’t cook the foot!” To which Charissa replied, “Where is it?” With increased anxiety, Curtis answered (a bit louder), “I don’t know. The foot is somewhere else, not on this platter. Look, choose a piece. Hurry up.”
Charissa studied the platter and said, “Okay, just give me the hand.” “A chicken doesn’t have a hand, it has a wing, Charissa.” “I hate the wing, Curtis. Oh, go ahead and give me the head.” When informed that Mother does not cook the head, Charissa said, in an exasperated tone. “Oh, all right! I’ll take the belly button!” That did it. Curtis reached in, grabbed a piece, and said, “That’s the best I can do.”
Swindoll, Come Before Winter, pp. 286-287
Welcomed at table. It is no coincidence that the two great acts of God’s deliverance and salvation in the Bible are communicated through meals shared at table.
In the Old Testament book of Exodus, the deliverance of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt is remembered through the Passover Meal which is described in the 12th and 13th chapters of Exodus. This meal includes the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb and the placement of the blood of the Lamb on the doorposts of the homes of the Hebrew slaves. In doing this, the Hebrew slaves were protected from the 10th plague which was the death of the firstborn in Egypt.
In the New Testament, the Passover Meal provides the context for the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples on the night before his crucifixion. In this meal, which we call the Lord’s Supper, Jesus welcomes his disciples at table as he becomes the sacrificial Passover Lamb as his blood is shed on the cross.
It is no mistake that it is at table that Jesus teaches the story of redemption on the night before his crucifixion. It is no mistake that the Lord’s Supper prepares the way for the cross to become the focal point for the story of God’s salvation as Jesus took a loaf of bread and said at table, “Take, eat, this is my body.” It is no mistake that Jesus took a cup at the table, and after giving thanks, handed the cup to his disciples saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” It is this story of redemption that we remember every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper as Jesus welcomes his disciples to be his guests at table.
In Jesus’ day, being welcomed at table was primarily a social practice that had the purpose of being connected to the right networks of society. Social status was achieved and maintained by knowing the right people, being seen with the right people, and associating with the right people at table. By being welcomed as a guest at table, you would be expected to host a future meal as the cycle of social status was perpetuated.
Luke records that Jesus turned the self-focused goal of societal status on its head when he told the leader of the Pharisees about who should be welcomed at table – “the poor, the cripple, the lame, and blind.” In the society of Jesus’ day, these were guests who would never be able to perpetuate the cycle of social status. They would never be able to reciprocate in hosting a banquet which is precisely the reason Jesus said they should be welcomed at table. Teaching that their inclusion on the guest list had a deeper eternal meaning than the goal of societal self-advancement, Jesus said, “And you will be blessed, because they cannot replay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
I think Jesus told the leader of the Pharisees to invite persons to table who would not be able to reciprocate his hospitality was to remind him that everyone is welcome at God’s table. I think the reason Luke includes this story in his gospel is because the story of God’s salvation is the story of every person being welcomed at table by Jesus, the Passover Lamb.
There is a spiritual that is called “Sitting at the welcome table” that witnesses to the truth of Jesus’ instructing the leader of the Pharisees to welcome everyone at table. It was sung by slaves in the hope of freedom and being welcomed at table.
I invite us to share some of the words of this spiritual as we remember Jesus’ teaching that everyone is welcome at God’s table.
We’re gonna sit at the welcome table. We’re gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days, hallelujah!
We’re gonna sit at the welcome table, gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days.
All kinds of people around that table. All kinds of people around that table, hallelujah!
All kinds of people around that table, gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days.
No fancy style at the welcome table. No fancy style at the welcome table, hallelujah!
No fancy style at the welcome table, gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days.
We’re gonna sit at the welcome table. We’re gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days, hallelujah!
We’re gonna sit at the welcome table, gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days.
Who are you welcoming at table?
Welcomed at Table
by Pastor Marc Brown
August 28, 2022
Accompanying Scriptures: Luke 14:1, 7-14
Fort Hill United Methodist Church
Order of Worship for August 28, 2021
Scripture Lesson Luke 14:1, 7-14
The Good News “Welcomed at Table”
Music “For Everyone Born” by Shirley Murray
Prayer
Blessing
Closing Music “The Center of Grace” arr. Heather Sorenson
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