field work: the table

Jesus took  the center of faith &  life from temple to  table.  Jesus’ most consistent social action was eating in new ways and with new people, encountering those who were oppressed or excluded from the system. It seems Jesus didn’t please anybody by breaking rules to make a bigger table. Notice how his contemporaries accused Jesus: one side criticized him for eating with tax collectors and sinners (see Matthew 9:10–11). The other side judged him for eating too much (Luke 7:34-35— The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ 35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children.” ) or dining with the Pharisees and lawyers (Luke 7:36–50; 11:37–54; 14:1). Jesus ate with all sides. He ate with lepers (Mark 14:3), he received a woman with a poor reputation at a men’s dinner (Luke 7:36–39), and he even invited himself to a “sinner’s” house (Luke 19:1–10). How do we not see that?

Our table with strangers is meant to be a microcosmic event, summarizing at one table what is true in the whole macrocosm: we are one, we are equal in dignity, we all eat of the same divine food, and Jesus still and always “eats with sinners,” just as he did when on Earth.

adapted from Richard Rohr

The banqueting table is an everpresent image in scripture and the parable of Jesus, pursuing neverending invitation

and the table of extravagant undeserved celebration.

And the psalmist David says about God…

Psalm 23: 5-6  You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness (tov) and unconditional love (hesed) will pursue (or run after) me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

God is our host and prepares a table for us, til death do us part.

At this table, he even pursues us in tov and hesed all the days of our lives.

The only question is: when will we allow ourselves to be caught by it?

and allow Him to enter and eat at table with us?

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

 david whyte:  underneath every real conversation is a real invitation.