Never forget that this table is the supreme proclamation of the hospitality of God. God invites us here week after week in order to remind us that we belong to Him, that we are His sons and daughters, that we are His family.
God has blessed our community immensely over many years in many ways, but one of the ways He is blessing us right now is through the addition of many new people into our church. You might be coming to this Downtown Church Plant because it’s a little smaller and easier to get to know people but if you look around you, there’s probably some folks you’ve never met, and these are the smaller services. What this means is that God is calling us to practice hospitality like He does. He invites us here every week, and then He sends us out to imitate His free grace, His generous hospitality.
But hospitality is hard work. This is why Scripture specifically exhorts us to hospitality without complaining or grumbling. Hospitality is hard work. It’s hard work coordinating the guest list, hard work getting dinner prepared, hard work shoveling the driveway so that the guests don’t get stuck and never leave. Some guests are easier to get along with than others, and then you have clean up and dishes. Hospitality is hard work.
But do not forget what it says in Hebrews: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb. 13:2). And remember the two disciples who didn’t recognize the Risen Lord until He broke bread with them and gave thanks. We celebrate Christ here with us every week in part because we need to be reminded that Christ is coming for dinner every night. He’s coming for dinner as you show hospitality to your own family each day, and as you open up your home to new folks and neighbors. Christ is openly here at this table so that you might know that He is at every table, so that you might have joy as you eat and drink and serve.
Leave a Reply