At the Table

We don’t think twice about tables. They are a simple part of our decor. We keep them in homes, parks, restaurants and many other places. They have probably been around since forever and I don’t know what we would do without them. 

We use the table for special occasions such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, and birthday parties. But it is in its every day use where will we find one of the most beautiful uses for a table. When a family can come together, hold hands and ask a blessing at the table before they eat, we have fulfilled a roll of unity for that moment. We come together in one accord. We pray, we eat, and we unite.

Families are not the only ones who use tables. Many times when we want to meet with friends, we stop at a restaurant and eat at the table. It becomes a place of laughter or stories or sharing difficulties. 

In churches we symbolically gather at a communion table and break bread and drink grape juice. We do this in remembrance of the One who gave His life so that we could experience eternal life.

I remember growing up in church when we use to gather for afternoon programs and sing. One of the regular songs reminded us that we were going to, “Sit at a welcome table one of these days.” We sang that song with smiles and joy, not knowing the meaning.

In Luke 14:15-24, Jesus tells the parable about a man who held a banquet and he invited people to come and sit at his banqueting table. People had all sorts of excuses as to why they couldn’t come. One just got married and didn’t want to leave their bride. One had purchased oxen and another needed to check on the fields. Basically, they had other priorities. 

Jesus then told them that the man opened up the banquet to anybody on the street. They just had to show up and they could sit at the table. When I heard that parable, I would imagine all the food that must have been fit for royalty. I also imagined the fellowship and the unity under Christ at the table. 

For me, this table has always been symbolic. I like to think of it as a place where we gather together with Christ and sit at a table for meaningful conversations. Here, we love one another, encourage one another and build one another up. 

If anyone is empty spiritually, we can sit at the table with Jesus and He can fill us up. We eat the Bread of Life and drink the Living Water. At His table, we find peace, joy and laughter. We sit, we eat, and we unite. 

This is the gift of the table that Jesus Christ extends to us now and when He finally takes us home.

Pamela Williams writes from Southern California.

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