More Than a Meal

In the Gospel of Luke alone, there are ten instances of Jesus eating a meal
with others and speaking with them. This fellowship with others is crucial.

More Than a Meal

"Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples."

(Matthew 9:10)

I am currently teaching a five-part sermon series at Great Hills Baptist Church called BLESS. We are exploring ways we as followers of Jesus can obey what I call "the Two Greats": the Great Commandment (love God and people) and the Great Commission (make disciples of all nations).

Our church and many others are utilizing an app called Bless Every Home. It is a free app that you can download and use to start praying for your neighbors by name. Here is what the icon of the app looks like:

BLESS is an acronym that stands for Begin with Prayer, Listen with Care, Eat (or Engage), Serve, and Share Jesus. It is based on the book, BLESS: 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World. The authors are Dave and Jon Ferguson, two brothers who helped plant Community Christian Church in Chicago, Illinois.

Their chapter on our subject today is very biblical, helpful, and practical. Dave and Jon point out on page 78 that in the Gospel of Luke alone, there are ten instances of Jesus eating a meal with others and speaking with them. They go on to write on pages 79-80:

"Not surprisingly, some of the strongest examples of the power of eating together come from Jesus. Throughout Scripture, we see Him eat with people. But if I asked you to list all the ways Jesus blessed the people around Him during His time on Earth, I'm guessing that eating with people wouldn't be on it.

"You would probably mention teaching, healing, doing miracles, praying, walking on water, eventually dying on a cross, and three days later overcoming death and coming back to life. But did you ever notice that part of how Jesus blessed and saved the world was by...wait for it...eating? I know it may sound a little crazy, but eating was actually central to Jesus's mission of loving others and showing them God's love!

"In fact, much of His ministry centered around meals. He performed His first miracle at a wedding feast (John 2:1-12). One of His most well-known miracles was feeding the five thousand on a hill in the countryside (John 14:13-21). The night before His crucifixion, He brought together His closest friends for a meal (Luke 22:7-20). And after His resurrection, He shared breakfast on the beach with His disciples (John 21:1-14)."

Having a meal with someone is a great way to get to know them. Over the next couple days in our devotions, we will further examine how we can do what Jesus did and break bread with people. It is more than a meal, however, because these times of fellowship will lead to gospel conversations that will change lives!

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