Come and Be Thankful at the Table of the Lord

There is much to be thankful for as we gather at the table of the Lord today. It is not like the regular tables where we normally dine. At the table of the Lord all people are welcome, no matter how much money they have; no matter the things they have done in the past; no matter their ethnic background; or how pretty they are. It does not matter if you’re pretty, tan, or muscular. It does not matter if you are smart or slow. In the gospels, Christ is always eating with tax collectors and the sinners—he eats with people like you and me: people who’ve missed the mark and gotten it wrong; people who haven’t measured up; and people who have been left behind. Whatever your circumstances and regardless of your past, you are invited to eat with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords this morning. He announces the invitation in Isaiah 55:1: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”

But you can’t get to the table of the Lord on your own. The presence of God is very valuable and worth more than we can imagine. The price of being at the table with a holy God is perfect, holy, deeds and perfect, holy lives. Such a price tag makes even Bill Gates look like a pauper!—who can buy holiness? It doesn’t matter how much your portfolio is worth because a ticket to the table of the Lord is simply beyond the budget. This is why only the guests of Christ are seated at this table. A seat at the table of our Lord is, as Paul said in Romans, a “free gift.” All you have to do is humbly accept the invitation from Jesus. You have to stop trying to feed yourself with your own devices for happiness and let Christ feed you. Christ beckons you now to come home to the greatest feast ever prepared; he begs you to follow him home for a meal. No dinner invitation that you will ever receive is more wonderful and more satisfying. No dinner on earth is more “prestigious” and yet so available. Relationship with God is open to all people because of the table that Jesus Christ has set out for us. This relationship is real food for our spiritual bodies and causes us to become real people, full of real life, and real love. Let’s gather together at the Lord’s Table and be thankful for all that he is doing.

-Matt Tapie