“When the hour came, (Jesus) took his place at the table, and the apostles with him” (Luke 22:14). This is how Luke begins his account of the Last Supper. When it was time for the celebration Jesus and the disciples gathered in the upper room. It was natural, of course, for Jesus to have a “place at the table,” after all he was the leader of the group, and as Luke helps us to understand, he was (and is) the Messiah, the Son of God. What may seem troubling is a verse that comes later in the passage, where Jesus says, “But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table” (v. 21). Not only did Jesus have a place at the table, but so did Judas!
What does this mean? We may not betray Jesus the same way that Judas did, but all of us are willing to cast our lot with the world when it suits us. Ultimately our choices lead us to betray Jesus in our own ways, turning our backs on God’s will for our lives and treating each other with greed and self-interest. Yet, even sinful folks like you and me are welcome in the presence of Jesus. There is a place for us at the table as well. The meal that Jesus offers, then, is one of hope. In worship, gathered around the table, we find our identity as forgiven people. In confessing our sins we know we will receive pardon, and in the Lord’s Supper (or Communion, or Eucharist) we are given a share in the work of the body of Christ now, and a foretaste of that which is to come. This is one reason why I consider the communion table, the font, and the pulpit to be the “watchposts” of my own faith tradition, Presbyterianism, for it here that we actively await the fulfillment of God’s plan in history (Habakkuk 2:1).
Luke helps us to see that it is a big table to which we are invited. Jesus knows our sins. Nonetheless, he invites us to come and to take our place with him, with one another.
Prayer: Gracious and loving God, forgive us our sins and help us to live as your people, gathered around the table of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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