Liturgy for Life : WK 5 - TUE
Hospitality
Luke 22:17-19
Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, "Take this and share it among yourselves. [18] For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come." [19] He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
Take some time to read the verses above again. Do it slowly and even breathe slowly as you read it. Imagine inhaling everything of God’s Spirit Jesus desires for you to take in through this passage. We are picking up where we left off with yesterday’s thought and meditation regarding the meal Jesus instituted that night with His disciples when He broke the bread and said, “This is My body given for you.” And, “This is my blood shed for you.” What I want to focus on today, however, is the table.
The table Christ always shared with people was the table of hospitality. Jesus was constantly getting into trouble with the religious leaders of His day because of the people He invited to share a table with. His table was and continues to be the table of love, compassion, inclusivity, redemption, and reconciliation. Everyone who shared a table with Jesus felt seen, valued, dignified, empowered, and loved. In contrast, everyone the religious leaders shared a table with felt unseen, devalued, dehumanized, overpowered, and undesirable.
Imagine sitting at the table of hospitality with Jesus. How might you feel seen, valued, dignified, empowered, and loved? Sit there with Jesus. Be still. Receive His presence and all that He thinks about you and feels for you. Let yourself receive all that He wants to express toward you as His beloved child and disciple.
Now that you have done this. How might Jesus be nudging you to invite someone to your table? Who do you sense Jesus wants to know that He sees them, values them, and loves them…through you? Through the living Christ in you. You see, hospitality in the Kingdom of God is always based on who Jesus invites.
Luke 22:17-19
Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, "Take this and share it among yourselves. [18] For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come." [19] He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
Take some time to read the verses above again. Do it slowly and even breathe slowly as you read it. Imagine inhaling everything of God’s Spirit Jesus desires for you to take in through this passage. We are picking up where we left off with yesterday’s thought and meditation regarding the meal Jesus instituted that night with His disciples when He broke the bread and said, “This is My body given for you.” And, “This is my blood shed for you.” What I want to focus on today, however, is the table.
The table Christ always shared with people was the table of hospitality. Jesus was constantly getting into trouble with the religious leaders of His day because of the people He invited to share a table with. His table was and continues to be the table of love, compassion, inclusivity, redemption, and reconciliation. Everyone who shared a table with Jesus felt seen, valued, dignified, empowered, and loved. In contrast, everyone the religious leaders shared a table with felt unseen, devalued, dehumanized, overpowered, and undesirable.
Imagine sitting at the table of hospitality with Jesus. How might you feel seen, valued, dignified, empowered, and loved? Sit there with Jesus. Be still. Receive His presence and all that He thinks about you and feels for you. Let yourself receive all that He wants to express toward you as His beloved child and disciple.
Now that you have done this. How might Jesus be nudging you to invite someone to your table? Who do you sense Jesus wants to know that He sees them, values them, and loves them…through you? Through the living Christ in you. You see, hospitality in the Kingdom of God is always based on who Jesus invites.
- Is there a table of hospitality Jesus is asking you to set? What might it look like? Might it be around a cup of coffee or tea? A meal or a snack?
- How is The Spirit of Christ asking you to engage in a spirit of hospitality without a physical table, but in those you engage with at work, school, home, or in the day-to-day with those in the community you cross paths with while shopping or tending to the tasks of the day?
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