We ll look at four stories that illustrate the mission of Jesus and how his meals played a role in the restoration of men and women to God.

Transcription

1 meals with Jesus

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3 Dear Community Group Leaders, Have you ever thought about Jesus s habits of eating with others? Perhaps you ve read the Gospels a dozen times but never noticed how frequently our Lord sat down at the table with others. He spent his time eating with sinners and tax collectors, with marginalized women, widows, and children, and even with Pharisees and other religious leaders. In Luke s gospel in particular, one commentator notes, Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal. Why is this significant? As we ll see throughout this short, four-week series, Jesus s meals are physical demonstrations of the grace he offers to the outsider. We ll look at four stories that illustrate the mission of Jesus and how his meals played a role in the restoration of men and women to God. Luke 7:36-50: Jesus s Meals as Enacted Community Luke 14:1-14: Jesus s Meals as Enacted Mission Luke 19:1-10: Jesus s Meals as Enacted Grace Luke 22:7-20: Jesus s Meals as Enacted Salvation Throughout this series which is conveniently during the laid-back weeks of summer I want to encourage you to actually eat together. If you meet all four weeks, then share four dinners together! In fact, if your whole group gathering time involves the preparation, presentation, consumption, and cleanup of food: Great! Indeed, this is a great month to invite outsiders to your group. What is an easier point of entry than a meal with new friends? As you gather, prayer over the food with real thought: Father, you loved us and sent your Son to live and eat among us, so that we might enjoy meals with you forever. Thank you for Christ and for this meal. Amen. I have written a short introduction to the meaning of Jesus s meals, and as usual, there are more than enough discussion questions. But remember: there s freedom! Enjoy a meal, bless your friends, ask a few thoughtful questions, and pray together for a deeper communion with God. Simple as that. I hope you re as excited about this series as I am! Enjoy the series and enjoy the summer. Much Love, Jeremy Linneman Pastor of Community Life jlinneman@sojournchurch.com

4 INTRODUCTION TO MEALS WITH JESUS The Son of Man came eating and drinking (Matthew 11:19). Have you ever thought about Jesus s habits of eating with others? Consider the examples from the gospel of Luke alone: Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners at Levi s house (Luke 5). Jesus is anointed at the home of a Pharisee during a meal (Luke 7). Jesus feeds five thousand people (Luke 9). Jesus eats in the home of Mary and Martha (Luke 10). Jesus condemns the Pharisees and religious leaders over a meal (Luke 11). Jesus urges people to invite the poor to their meals, not just their friends (Luke 14). Jesus invites himself to dinner with Zaccheus (Luke 19). Jesus gathers his disciples in the upper room for the Last Supper (Luke 22). Jesus, risen from the grave, asks for a plate of fish (Luke 24). Jesus frequently used meals to enact the message of his Kingdom bold, relentless love for sinners. Why did Jesus choose to spend so much of his ministry over a good meal? Think about it. Meals are full of significance. Few acts are more expressive of companionship than the shared meal. Someone with whom we share food is likely to be our friend, or well on the way to become one. 1 In fact, our English word companion comes from two Latin words meaning bread and together. 2 There is something almost religious about the way we come together over meals, taking hands and saying grace on a regular schedule like a culinary liturgy. Our life at the table, no matter how mundane, is sacramental a means through which we encounter the mystery of God. 3 The meals of Jesus give us a beautiful picture into the Christian life. We gather with family and friends around the table, but also with our church community. When we invite our neighbors over for dinner, when we take time to join our co-workers for lunch or happy hour, or when we offer a cold drink to a stranger, we are demonstrating the grace of God to one another. What are the Christian community s meals for? They achieve many things. They express so much of God s grace. They provide a glimpse of what it s like to live under God s reign. They express and reinforce the community that Christ has created through the cross. They re a foretaste of the new creation. 4 But think of it another way. Jesus s meals weren t just for something else. Everything else life, work, family, suffering, everything was for a meal with Jesus. In other words, all of human history from creation to the cross to the new creation exists for this: that we might eat together in the presence of God. God created the world so that we might eat with him. 5 Jesus s meals were rich in meaning and grace, and our meals too can be little bites of eternity as we look forward to the great feast of neverending communion with God. 1 Carolyn Steel, Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives. 2 Tim Chester, Meals with Jesus. 3 Simon Carey Holt, Dinner with the Family. 4 Tim Chester, Meals with Jesus. 5 Tim Chester, Meals with Jesus.

5 JESUS S MEALS AS ENACTED COMMUNITY Luke 7:36-50 Exercise Rather than gathering in a living room, make a meal (or dessert) together as a group. Once the meal is made (and dishes are cleaned up), spend time over the food discussing this passage with some of the provided questions. Consider: How does the change of environment from living room to dining room affect the feel of gathering? Opening Discussion Read Meals with Jesus: An Introduction aloud together. How would you put the significance of Jesus s meals into your own words? According to Robert Putnam s Bowling Alone, family meals are down 33% over the last three decades, and meals with friends are down 45%. The average American family spends only 60 minutes eating together weekly. What do you think of this? Why do you think this matters? Reading & Application Read Luke 7:36-50 out loud. How would you describe this encounter in a contemporary setting (a religious leader and a controversial woman)? How would you react? Why might Luke be picking stories involving tax collectors and prostitutes in particular? What does this demonstrate about the mission of Jesus? In what way does Jesus tie his identity and reputation to this woman? How did Simon and the Pharisees view Jesus and how does the woman? What is the meaning and significance of Jesus s parable (v )? How are you challenged by Jesus s response that those who are forgiven little, love little (v. 47)? How does Jesus s response to the woman enact (or provide a physical demonstration of ) his mission, and, in particular, the Christian community? When a person acts in a way that is embarrassing, what is your typical response? How does being around messy people expose your heart? Prayer Take a few moments to pray for one another s needs and thank God for the meal and the community. 5

6 JESUS S MEALS AS ENACTED MISSION Luke 14:1-14 Opening Exercise Rather than gathering in a living room, make a meal (or dessert) together as a group. Once the meal is made (and dishes are cleaned up), spend time over the food discussing this passage with some of the provided questions. Consider this quote (see Meals with Jesus: An Introduction ): What are the Christian community s meals for? They achieve many things. They express so much of God s grace. They provide a glimpse of what it s like to live under God s reign. They express and reinforce the community that Christ has created through the cross. They re a foretaste of the new creation. How have you experienced community around the table in your life at home as a kid, with friends, with your own kids? What were the most significant meals you have ever eaten? Reading & Discussion Read Luke 14:1-14 out loud. Who is on the invited guest list for this dinner party (v. 1)? How do meals give a visible representation of our hearts? How do you react to Jesus s advice to take a lower position to be moved up (v. 8-11)? In what areas of life do you want to be recognized at the front of the table? What would a posture of humility look like? What forms of mission or sharing the Good News do you see in Jesus s life? What do you not see? Application Reflecting on v , how can your meals be a place of mission? Who comes to mind? Take a few minutes to make a list of a few outsiders to the faith with which you would love to share a meal. What are some natural ways you might eat with them and better get to know them? Prayer Take a few moments to pray for one another s needs and for those God has placed in our life to love and reach with his Good News. Thank God for the meal and the community. In Jesus s parable (v. 7-11), who is on the guest list? What can we learn about someone by the folks they invite to eat with them? 6

7 JESUS S MEALS AS ENACTED GRACE Luke 19:1-10 Exercise Rather than gathering in a living room, make a meal (or dessert) together as a group. Once the meal is made (and dishes are cleaned up), spend time over the food discussing this passage with some of the provided questions. Opening Discussion Why do you think God created food and our need (and love) for it? What are some ways in which food is misused by people? How might food be used for control, refuge, identity, and image? Reading & Application Read Luke 19:1-10 out loud. How is it that Jesus can be both the host and the guest at the same time? How do you see Jesus s hospitality in this story? Why is it important that Zaccheus received Jesus joyfully into his home? What does this say about Zaccheus? About Jesus? Read Luke 18:18-30 a scene from right before this narrative:. How does this encounter differ from Jesus s conversation with the rich young ruler? How is the ruler s response different from Zaccheus s? How does Jesus s tone differ? Why? Jesus was the most hospitable man who ever lived and he didn t even own a home. What would it look like for you adopt a mission of compassion, hospitality, and generosity wherever you go? How might God be inviting you to remember your oneness with Christ through meals together? What practical ways might you use mealtime to celebrate your salvation and the hope of the gospel? Prayer Take a few moments to pray for one another s needs and thank God for the meal and the community. Consider Why Jesus came, to seek and save the lost (v. 10), as well as How he came, the Son of Man came eating and drinking (Matt. 11:19). How have you seen these things as connected? 7

8 JESUS S MEALS AS ENACTED SALVATION Luke 22:7-20 Exercise Rather than gathering in a living room, make a meal (or dessert) together as a group. Once the meal is made (and dishes are cleaned up), spend time over the food discussing this passage with some of the provided questions. Opening Discussion What has been most significant for you in this series? How do you look at your own meals with others differently? What resolutions or changes have you made? Reading & Application Read Luke 22:7-20 out loud. Imagine this meal in your own words. What would this meal look like today? What would the feel and tone be? (Using our imagination helps us enact our personal relationship with Christ.) Why do you think the observance of the Lord s Supper (also called communion or the Eucharist, which means giving thanks ) has been central to church participation for two thousand years? What do you think about Sojourn s tradition of taking the Lord s Supper every Sunday as opposed to just monthly or annually? Consider that sin originally entered the world through a bite of food. God provided Israel with food in the wilderness and invited them to celebrate his presence with feasting. And Jesus gathered with his disciples in this passage over a meal. Why do you think food plays this central (though secondary) role in the biblical story? Consider Jesus s words: This is my body, given for you (v. 19). How does remembering Jesus s sacrificial life, death and resurrection in your place affect your daily life? Exercise Having reached the end of this series, how do you intend to apply your reflections on Jesus s meals? Make a list of two or three people you want to share a meal with, how and when and where you might plan for it, and how we as a group can hold you accountable. Prayer Take a few moments to pray for one another s needs and thank God for the meal and the community. 8