God of the Table

Jesus was known for eating with folks. He had a meal at the Simon the Pharisee's house. We can assume He at at Peter's house, since the Scriptures tell us that after He healed Peter's mother-in-law, she got up and cooked for them. He spotted Zacchaeus in a tree and invited Himself over for dinner. And after His resurrection, He was found grilling fish on the seashore, inviting the disciples to join Him once again. 

This should come as no surprise to us, as God has always been a God of food and of the table. He provided manna and quail for the entire nation of Israel in the wilderness. He sent ravens to feed Elijah in a desolate place. And in His most famous psalm, He's promised that He prepares a table for us in the midst of our enemies. 

But les there should be any doubt that God desires to eat with us, Jesus outright says it in Luke 22:15. 

The scene is the Upper Room. The setting is the Passover. It is the last time that Jesus will be gathered (that we know of) with all of His disciples. He's made His triumphal entry. The disciples have found the place that He had spoken of. The city of Jerusalem was well into Passover preparations with only One Man among all of them understands what's going to happen in the next few hours...going on three days. 

And Jesus takes this moment to say, "I have so long desired to eat this meal with you." 

He's spent three years traveling with them. Thousands of hours teaching them. Hundreds of miles walked, dozens of men and women healed. They've had some dinners together, gone fishing, climbed mountains. Prayed. They have probably already spent at least two other Passovers together. 

Yet, here He is, saying, "I have so long desired to eat this meal with you." 

This meal, this sacred meal. This meal of brothers, of the family. This meal of the chosen, of God's people. This sacramental meal that is about to become even more sacred, when Jesus breaks the bread and pours the wine and says, now, do this in remembrance of Me. 

Not in remembrance of Egypt. Not in remembrance of wilderness. Not in remembrance of being passed over...but in remembrance of being welcomed in. 

In one breath, He changed the whole meal and in the same breath, He declared this is the meal He's desired to eat with us. 

And why wouldn't it be? 

This was the relationship God had in mind from the very beginning, when He breathed the first breath of life into the dust in the Garden and began walking in the cool of the day. When He and Adam and Eve sat around eating from all the trees together, kicked back around that first table. When He set that table in the midst of their enemies and fed them through the wilderness. When that food rained down from Heaven or, rather, rose up with the dew. When He'd made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and gone with His disciples to the Upper Room and declared, finally, I no longer get to just feed you; now, I get to eat with you again. 

I have so long desired for this day. 

...Haven't you?