Did you know that over the past three decades, there has been a 45 percent decrease in entertaining friends and a 33 percent decrease in families eating together? And more than half of those families watch television as they eat together – I know it…that’s what my family did growing up (research from Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone).
What did you eat today? Whom did you eat it with? When’s the last time you had a meaningful time of relationship and community with another person? Was it around food? Most of us not only organize our day around our meals, but is is the social glue that connects families and friends together. Isn’t that why the big holidays, like Christmas and Thanksgiving are celebrated with family, friends, and a big meal?
However, we oftentimes eat without knowing and understanding the significance of it, other than satisfying that hunger or satiating that palette.
So what would it look like if we began seeing food and our meal times through the eyes of Jesus? How did he view the table?
Well, in the New Testament, here are three of the ways that the sentence “The Son of Man came…” is completed:
- …not to serve, but to serve (Mark 10:45);
- …to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10);
- …eating and drinking (Luke 7:34).
The first two describe the purpose of Jesus’ coming, whereas the last one describes the method to his purpose.
As Tim Chester describes in his book, A Meal with Jesus, “Jesus spent his time eating and drinking—a lot of his time. He was a party animal. His mission strategy was a long meal, stretching into the evening. He did evangelism and discipleship round a table with some grilled fish, a loaf of bread, and a pitcher of wine.”
So instead of seeing meals through the lens of food courts, fast food, microwave meals, calorie intake, or a way to keep the stomach from growling, what if we saw eating as a holy act?
What if, as Tim Chester elaborates, meals were designed to slow us down and cause us to become more people oriented than task oriented? What if sharing a meal with another became the way to build relationships, rather than a way.
After all, when we eat together…
- Unresolved conflict is confronted,
- We experience and offer a deeper level of companionship and hospitality,
- Everyone experiences a measure of belonging,
- We are reminded that God is ultimately the one who provides us with our every need and daily bread.
Although eating together may lead to stains on the carpet, meals have the power to transform individuals into a community.
So here is my challenge to you. Answer these three questions.
- How many meals do you eat in a week?
- Can you eat at least one of those meals with someone from within your group or community of faith?
- Can you eat at least one of those meals with someone who is not in your community of faith?