Why Do We meet around this Table? It is not to satisfy bodily hunger. When they were doing that in Corinth, the Apostle Paul chided them that they were not discerning the Lord’s body. It is not to meditate. We can do that at home and save the bus fare.
Surely we meet to revitalize our corporate worship, to share fellowship, to show that we really do consider one another as belonging to the body of Christ.
We meet so that those who are strong can bear with the failings of the weak and not just please ourselves, and to build up our brothers as Christ did (Rom. 15:1-3). Paul’s quote from the Old Testament reminds us that bearing with the failings of others who share this table with us may even involve accepting insults without griping.
We meet around the Table as ‘a spiritual act of worship.’ We do not offer animals at this altar. We offer ourselves ‘as living sacrifices’ (Rom. 12:1). To offer our bodies as a sacrifice is a decision, an act of choice. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross” (Matt. 16:24). Our ‘cross’ is obviously not unemployment, or chronic illness, or a difficult mother-in-law. Our ‘cross’ is a sacrificial calling, a kind of lifestyle and mind-set that we voluntarily ‘take up.’
A living sacrifice
Romans 12:9-21 is clearly intended to be a little picture of each of our ecclesias across the world. “Love must be sincere…be devoted to one another…honour one another…be joyful… share with God’s people who are in need…practice hospitality…live in harmony…be willing to associate with people of low position…live at peace… overcome evil with good.” Note the number of active verbs and action words in that passage: love, honor, serve, share, bless, rejoice, overcome. I am afraid that many of us at this table just concentrate on being passively ‘pure’ and ‘blameless,’ but are lazy when it comes to uplifting others. But goodness is far more than the absence of wrongdoing.
The apostle told the Romans to “accept one another” (15:7). And not just for friendship’s sake, but “just as Christ accepted you.” And this place, the Lord’s table, is just the right and proper place to fulfill that commandment. This is no place for finger pointing or ‘taking our brother by the throat.’ This is no place for pretending that you and he or she are unworthy to sit by me and sup the cup! I have to remember that Jesus sacrificed, suffered, and died so that I could be here today. That is the only table that will please God. Your failings are not going to affect my place at this feast, nor mine yours. It is the Lord who sanctifies this table, not you or I.
Elijah’s angel
There is a wonderful little story in I Kings 19 about Elijah. He was in a terrible state of depression, like many of us here this morning. God did not gripe at Elijah because he was down and out, and crushed by his circumstances. There was no finger pointing. God just sent an angel. The angel “touched him” gently and tenderly. He gave him freshly baked bread. He blessed him with soothing sleep. And then he gave him another nutritious meal. Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you. What a sympathetic love is there!
I am going to be like that angel. I am welcoming you all to this table today. Eat, for the journey is too much for you.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One