A Meal with Jesus

1. Jesus's Mission Strategy: Eating and Drinking

The Son of Man has come eating and drinking . . .

A radical method. While many might expect the Son of Man to arrive with an army or in a blaze of glory, Jesus's chosen method for establishing God's kingdom was surprisingly simple: eating and drinking. He spent a significant portion of his ministry sharing meals, so much so that his enemies accused him of being "a glutton and a drunkard." This wasn't just subsistence; it was a deliberate strategy.

More than symbolism. Jesus's meals were not merely symbolic gestures; they were the tangible embodiment of grace, community, and mission. They gave substance to the new reality he was ushering in, making abstract theological concepts edible and relatable. Luke's Gospel consistently highlights this, showing Jesus either going to, at, or coming from a meal.

Mission made accessible. This approach demystifies mission, making it accessible to everyone. It doesn't require specialized training or complex strategies, but rather a passion for Jesus combined with the simple act of sharing meals. If you regularly share meals and have a heart for Christ, you are actively building Christian community and engaging in mission.

2. Meals as Enacted Grace: Welcoming the Outcast

I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

Scandalous inclusivity. Jesus's willingness to eat with tax collectors and "sinners" like Levi was deeply scandalous in his day. Meals were powerful "boundary markers" in Jewish culture, signifying intimacy and acceptance, and purity laws dictated who one could eat with. By sharing a table with those considered traitors and impure, Jesus shattered these social and religious barriers.

Grace over ritual. Jesus consistently challenged the Pharisees' system of ritual cleanliness, which often excluded the poor and focused on external appearances rather than internal transformation. He demonstrated that his holiness was contagious, making the unclean clean, and that true cleanliness came from a heart of love and generosity, not adherence to burdensome rules. His parties were celebrations, not solemn rituals.

Subversive grace. God's grace, as embodied by Jesus's table fellowship, is radically subversive. It turns the world's ladder-climbing pursuit of self-righteousness upside down, inviting the broken, the marginalized, and those who recognize their need to God's feast. The parables of the lost in Luke 15 further illustrate this, showing that heaven rejoices when the lost are found, a joy often missed by those who feel they don't need forgiveness.

3. Meals as Enacted Hope: A Foretaste of God's Kingdom

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine...

Identity revealed. The feeding of the five thousand is a pivotal moment in Luke's Gospel, revealing Jesus's identity as "the Christ of God." This miraculous meal echoes Old Testament promises, portraying Jesus as:

• A new Moses, providing bread in the wilderness like manna.
• A new Elijah, multiplying food like Elisha.
• The host of the long-awaited Messianic Banquet, prophesied by Isaiah, where God will provide a lavish, perpetual feast for all peoples, swallowing up death itself.

Glimpse of a new world. This event was not the full fulfillment of the Messianic Banquet, but a powerful foretaste. It showed a world where hunger is satisfied, and people are welcomed and provided for by God. Our world, marked by hunger and dissatisfaction, longs for this reality. The Christian community, especially when sharing meals, becomes a tangible sign and beginning of this coming kingdom.

Divine provision in mission. Jesus's command to his disciples, "You give them something to eat," highlights their inability but also his power to provide. The twelve baskets of leftovers symbolize God's superabundance and his faithfulness to equip his followers for impossible tasks. This teaches us to offer what little we have, trusting that Christ, the ultimate Provider, will multiply it for his glory, even in the face of suffering and opposition.

4. Meals as Enacted Mission: Inviting the Marginalized

When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you.

Counter-cultural hospitality. Jesus directly challenged the social norms of his day, where meals reinforced status and reciprocity. He instructed his host, a Pharisee, to invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind—those who could not repay the invitation. This radical ethic of grace, rather than reciprocity, aimed to collapse the social distance between rich and poor, insider and outsider, creating a new, counter-cultural society.

Beyond charity. True mission through meals goes beyond simply providing for the needy; it involves sitting and eating with them as equals. This shared experience fosters genuine community, replacing marginalization with inclusion and powerlessness with belonging. People don't want to be projects; they desire friendship and a place where they matter, which is often best communicated around a shared table.

The great reversal. Luke's Gospel emphasizes a coming "great reversal" where the first will be last and the last first. Jesus's table fellowship is a living demonstration of this future reality. By aligning ourselves with the marginalized and extending hospitality, we embody God's grace and challenge the world's value systems, showing that God's kingdom is for those often overlooked or despised by society.

5. The Lord's Supper: Salvation Embodied in a Meal

This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

A meal of remembrance and promise. The Last Supper, which became the Lord's Supper, is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative. It looks back to the Passover, commemorating Israel's liberation from slavery through the blood of a lamb, and forward to the Messianic Banquet. Jesus, as the ultimate Passover Lamb, offers his body and blood, inaugurating a new covenant that opens the way to God and promises eternal feasting.

Realigning our relationship with food. Humanity's rebellion began with food in Eden, distorting our relationship with it, leading to:

• Control: Treating food as mere fuel or a means to self-sovereignty (e.g., anorexia).
• Image: Using food to achieve a desired self-image or gain worship from others.
• Refuge: Self-medicating with food instead of finding comfort in God.
• Identity: Seeking identity through diet or appearance rather than grace in Christ.
  The gospel reorients this, reminding us that we live by God's word, not by bread alone.

God's gracious provision. The Lord's Supper is a powerful reminder that salvation is not earned but received through Christ's finished work. His death on the cross dealt with sin and judgment, tearing the temple curtain and opening access to God's presence. This meal is a foretaste of the eternal feast with God, a joyous celebration of his lavish grace and the new covenant secured by Christ's perfect faithfulness.

6. The Lord's Supper: A Formative Act of Community and Dependence

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

More than a ritual. The Lord's Supper is not merely a solemn rite or a fragment of bread and sip of wine; it is meant to be a joyous feast of friends, a vibrant meal that binds believers together. Its power lies not in mystical transformation of elements, but in the shared experience of a community united by the cross, celebrating God's grace and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

An act of dependence. Every meal reminds us of our physical dependence on God as creatures, but the Communion meal specifically highlights our spiritual dependence on God as sinners. We live by the death of his Son, and each mouthful of bread reminds us that we rely on his grace daily, just as we rely on our daily sustenance. It's a tangible expression of "Man shall not live by bread alone."

Habit-forming formation. Participating in the Lord's Supper is a habit-forming practice that shapes us. It's a "role-play" where we actively participate in the drama of salvation, learning and relearning the habits of cross-centered living. In a culture of striving, individualism, and self-promotion, Communion trains us in:

• Resting on Christ's finished work.
• Belonging to one another.
• Receiving God's gifts with joy.
• Joyous self-denial and service.
• Humility and generosity.

7. The Risen Christ Eats: Meals as Enacted Promise

They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.

Physicality of resurrection. The risen Christ's act of eating broiled fish publicly is profoundly significant. It demonstrates that the resurrection is not an escape from the physical world into an ethereal existence, but the promise and beginning of the renewal of all things. Our future is a physical future on a renewed earth, where food, cooking, and feasting will be part of God's good creation.

Living between two realities. The Emmaus road narrative captures the human experience of disappointment and lost hope, mirroring our own world's journey between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Jesus meets us in our pain, listening to our stories before revealing himself through the Scriptures and the breaking of bread. This reminds us that Christ is often incognito, hidden in the ordinary, and we live as disciples of the cross, embracing obscurity and weakness.

The promise of renewal. Just as sin affected our physical bodies and relationship with food, salvation is also experienced in the body. Jesus, the firstfruits of resurrection, embodies this renewed humanity. His eating after resurrection is a powerful declaration that God's promise of a restored creation, where shame is removed and joy abounds, is real and tangible, culminating in an eternal feast.

8. Hospitality: An Ordinary Yet Profound Act of Discipleship

Hospitality is a very ordinary business, but in its ordinariness is its real worth.

Integral to God's story. From Abraham entertaining angels to Rahab's faith expressed through hospitality, and the early church's practice of breaking bread in homes, hospitality has always been central to God's people. It's not an optional extra but a core expression of Christian conduct, reflecting God's own generous welcome to us.

Mission in the everyday. Jesus didn't run programs; he ate meals. This means mission isn't confined to extraordinary events or professional ministries, but happens in the ordinary rhythms of life. With 21 meal opportunities a week, Christians can intentionally invite neighbors, colleagues, and friends to share food, creating natural platforms for gospel conversations and demonstrating the transformative power of Christian community.

Overcoming barriers. Common excuses for lacking hospitality—fear of judgment, perceived cost, or busyness—often stem from deeper heart issues like insecurity, fear of man, or a desperate search for satisfaction outside of God. True hospitality flows from a heart resting in God's greatness, glory, goodness, and grace, liberating us to serve others without needing to impress or control, and allowing God to work through our imperfect lives.

Last updated: July 31, 2025