Welcoming All to the Table
10 LESSONS FROM JESUS' TABLE
Part 2
By Susha Roberts
Jesus often used meals to engage with people and teach important lessons. And he continues to call us to his table to feast on who he is and learn more about him through his Word. Jesus’ example provides an opportunity to invite friends, outcasts and even enemies to know God’s story of love and salvation.
In the book of Luke alone, there are 10 stories of Jesus dining with various people. Let’s look at each of these meals and what they could mean for you. This week we'll look at the last five stories.
6. Consider your conversation — Luke 14:1-24
When Jesus accepted a dinner invitation to the home of a Pharisee, he came prepared to speak on the hot topics of the day: working on the Sabbath, places of honor (at the table) and who gets to sit at God’s banquet table. Hot topics and touchy subjects still come up at the dinner table today. How do you deal with them?
When Jesus had a point to make on a difficult subject, he didn’t go into a long, drawn-out monologue. He asked well-thought-out questions that engaged people and told interesting stories (parables) to make a complex subject understandable.
His words were grounded in a solid understanding of the Word and a deep desire to bring people into right relationship with God.
THINK ABOUT IT...
Are your conversations encouraging?
7. Invite yourself over — Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus was curious about Jesus but only expected to observe him from afar. The “wee little man” of Sunday school fame couldn’t see over the crowd, so he climbed a tree to catch a glimpse. He was probably surprised when Jesus noticed him. As the chief tax collector, he was even more surprised — and excited — when Jesus wanted to have a meal at his house.
Zacchaeus, a “sinner,” was not going to reach out to Jesus, the respected rabbi. He didn’t know he needed salvation, and he likely had little hope of acceptance in the community. It might seem ironic that Zacchaeus’ name means “pure” or “innocent.” But not when you consider that Jesus came to make us white as snow; he saw Zacchaeus’ potential.
THINK ABOUT IT...
Is there someone who needs you to reach out?
8. Put your guests first — Luke 22:14-38
Jesus’ last supper — the Passover meal — with his disciples is filled with meaning. The scene that is set reveals that Jesus is the lamb of God, that in Christ there is a new covenant, and that we are to remember his sacrifice through communion (Luke 22:14-38). Jesus is clearly the center of this meal.
Yet Jesus didn’t host this dinner for himself. He was thinking of his disciples, who had very little time left with him to understand the significance of what was about to happen.
His death and resurrection were going to change their lives and the world itself. He could have talked about his terrible suffering to come, but instead focused on what they would need to remember from that night.
THINK ABOUT IT...
Do you see meals as a way to serve others’ spiritual needs?
9. Disciple over dinner — Luke 24:28-32
After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to two of his followers on the road to Emmaus. With his identity cloaked by God, he talked with them about all that had happened and explained the significance through the Scriptures: “Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).
They couldn’t get enough of what he was saying and implored him to continue at dinner. As soon as he gave thanks for the bread and broke it, as he had at the last supper (Luke 22:19), their eyes were opened. They were dining with the risen Savior! Not only that, but they had been taught to understand the Scriptures.
THINK ABOUT IT...
Is God asking you to reveal Jesus — the Word who became human (John 1:14) — over a meal?
10. Serve comfort food — Luke 24:36-43
When the two from Emmaus went back to tell the disciples, suddenly Jesus appeared. They were very afraid — they thought they’d seen a ghost! But Jesus reassured them with a simple gesture; he sat down and ate with them. Then Jesus “opened their minds to understand the Scripture” (Luke 24:45).
By eating, Jesus wasn’t just proving that he wasn’t a ghost. He was doing something familiar to put their minds at ease. Like the ultimate comfort food, Jesus was ministering to his disciples’ weary hearts. Meals still can work that way, melting away a frazzled work day or soothing an aching heart.
THINK ABOUT IT...
Is there someone you can comfort and uplift through a meal?
Resurrection has planned numerous opportunities for you to experience as we gather around the Lenten Table. Learn more about all the Lenten resources Resurrection will be provided at our dedicated webpage:
On our daily Lenten journey with Jesus, we go to an “out of the way” place to encounter His presence in Scriptures, Haikus, Reality, and Prayer.
Daily Reflections by Roger Vanden Busch:
Feast of St. Joseph
We celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph on Monday, March 20. This feast commemorates the life of Joseph as the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus. He is the Patron Saint of the Universal Church, fathers, immigrants, workers, carpenters, happy deaths, and many others.
Joseph is portrayed in works of art with grey hair and a beard, an older figure next to Mary and Jesus, and often in the background. The scriptures mention nothing of Joseph’s age and previous life. However, one early tradition believes he was an older man and a widower with children from a previous marriage. In the pope’s Apostolic Letter entitled Patris Corde, he wrote, “In his relationship to Jesus, Joseph was the earthly shadow of the heavenly Father. He watched over him and protected him, never leaving him to go his own way.
On the Solemnity of St. Joseph, it is the custom in some places to bless bread, pastries, and other food and give a large portion of it to the poor. Pray this special meal blessing as a family before eating.
Also, St. Joseph is often pictured with lilies. White lilies symbolize St. Joseph's integrity, obedience, and purity. Consider buying a bouquet of lilies in honor of St. Joseph on his feast day!
Each Lent, Catholic families across the country unite to put their faith into action through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Through CRS Rice Bowl, families learn about how our sisters and brothers across the globe overcome hardships like hunger and malnutrition, and how through Lenten alms, we have the power to make the world a better place for all.
A STORY OF HOPE FROM KENYA
To continue farming in the face of climate change, a community in Kenya learns how to use a solar powered well.
Turkana, Kenya is very hot and dry. Temperatures reach the mid-90s year-round. Most people in this area raise livestock such as goats and camels, and a few are farmers. But the climate makes this work difficult—and climate change is making it even harder.
Rebecca and her husband, Lotiang, have farmed and raised goats for years. They rely on rain and river water to irrigate their crops and feed their animals. But it is raining less and less in Turkana, and—when it does rain—it can be unpredictable and intense, leading to floods that wash away the seeds.
“We struggled to water our farms,” Rebecca says.
Rebecca and Lotiang have worked hard so their family can thrive. Their determination—and hope for their children’s futures—helped them overcome the challenges they faced.
They participated in a Catholic Relief Services program that installed a water well in their village and trained them in new farming techniques. With the well and solar-powered pump, they can irrigate their fields regularly and take care of their goats. Their children love to help with the goats!
Lotiang learned to grow kale, which provides nutrition for his family and can be sold for a high price at the market. Rebecca is grateful that her children can eat healthy food every day. She is also happy that she can send them to school using money from the produce Lotiang sells at the market.
Rebecca and Lotiang have become leaders in their community and teach others what they learned so that everyone can benefit.
“I learned much in CRS’ program,” Rebecca says. “It is a program that has changed my life. I am trying to show my community what I am able to do so that they can emulate it for a better future. Through that I will change my community.”
REFLECT
Every person has basic rights like food and water, and we have a responsibility to ensure everyone can access these rights.
What is one thing you can do today to help another person live according to their God-given human dignity?
Join us for Mass this weekend in person at 4:oo on Saturday, 8:30 or 10:30 on Sunday, on www.gbres.org/live, our YouTube channel, and our Facebook page.
READINGS FOR THIS WEEKEND’S MASSES
VIRTUALLY SUNDAY REFLECTION
Pop songs can help blur the lines between the sacred and the secular. Throughout our Lenten journey, we can listen to songs in a new way that helps connect us with God. What's your scripture and faith playlist? Join Rev Bridget Flag Daniels as she reflects on this weekend's gospel.
Resurrection Parish Core Value Reflections
Prayer Service/Compassionate Action Sharing/Sacrificial Love Hospitality Learning Gratitude Resurrection's core values are what we believe. Roger Vanden Busch has written reflections on each of Resurrection's core values.
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