Reflections on "Jesus Is the One Who Eats with Us" Mark 2: 13-17; Luke 9: 10-17

I enjoyed preaching this sermon.   

In the sanctuary service the chocolate candy illustration became the Time with Young Disciples, so it was not used in the sermon.

I continue to try and figure out how often to use personal illustrations.  When looking through the survey results from a survey done in January, there were several comments about how the personal stories were helpful, but I am still wary of sharing too much.  I remember hearing a Presbyterian minister (a very fine preacher) who seemed to have a story every week from his childhood.  After hearing that each week, I began to wonder what kind of childhood he must have had or if he had been making up some of the stories!  Case and point -- I had the Europe restaurant story in the initial draft of the sermon; it led me to the article about communal dining, so I took the Europe story out of the revised sermon; but then when I preached it early Sunday morning it felt like I needed the Europe story anyway.  After a comment at the chapel service about communal eating on cruises, I probably could have cut the Europe story and used the cruise example, particularly since I added the tuna casserole story.  That was a late edition to the sermon when I was trying to determine if I had been concrete enough in my points.  Enough about personal stories, except to note that I continue to worry about overuse of them.

I did ponder how the sermon fit with Jesus is the one who eats with us, since the sermon was really about how Jesus ate with those in his time.  Not sure if I transitioned Jesus' actions to our time well enough to make the case that Jesus is alive and in our midst.

As I heard the Scripture read today, I had a two thoughts about future sermons:  reflecting on the groups of 50 that Jesus said to split the crowds into and a sermon focusing the Pharisee asking Jesus to come eat at his house.  

I also could have included Zaccheus in the list of illustrations of places where Jesus went to eat with others.

“Jesus Is the One Who Eats With Us” FPC, Troy; March 3, 2013; Mark 2: 13-17; Luke 9: 10-17 “Jesus Is the One Who...” series

Introduction: Milton Brasher-cunningham, in his book Keeping the Feast notes that "what the gospel writers don't seem to skimp on are stories of Jesus eating. Or at least stories of Jesus and food. He eats, he feeds, he talks about food, he even calls himself the Bread of Life, and on the last night around the Table he wrapped it all up with a meal - The Meal - as the ultimate metaphor of what it means to be together" (14).

I ran into quote from Winnie the Pooh. Pooh is asked what is his favorite food.

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best -- " and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called” Quoted in Sports Illustrated, Steve rushin, “point After," p. 64 2/18/13; confirmed at  http://thinkexist.com/quotation/-well-said_pooh—what_i_like_best--and_then_he/345928.html;

Move 1: Jesus makes rooms for others at the table.

a. Years ago, I had the chance to travel Europe, some of the time by myself.

1. Went into a restaurant to get a meal. Not a fancy restaurant where the waiters take great care of you, but a restaurant where you order your food at the counter and then take it and sit down at one of the tables in the eating area.

2. I had my choice of seats as it was early for the lunch hour and no one was in the eating area.

3. The next person came in, ordered his food, and then chose to sit next to me. All the empty seats available, but he was sitting next to me at my table.

4. He was invading my personal space for no apparent reason, and it led to an aw2kward conversation over lunch as we did not speak the same language.

5. Later I learned that it was the custom in Germany and regions in Europe that have a heavy German influence for strangers to sit together in restaurants.

6. In fact, I read recently that there are several restaurants in the United States that offer communal dining. You get seated with strangers, typically at big tables, sometimes with the food being served family-style. (http://columbianewsservice.com/2011/03/dining-with-strangers-not-that-terrifying/)

b. Jesus continually makes room at the table for others.

1. Jesus eats with the disciples, which would expect after all, since he works with them and spends lots of time with them.

2. But he also eats people we might not expect him to – tax collectors. Tax collectors had two strikes against them. They were viewed as unclean because they interacted so much with the Gentile Romans; they were seen as collaborators with the Roman government;

3. there is Jesus eating with them.

4. And sinners – Jesus eats with them as well, despite the disapproval that garners from the Pharisees.

5. speaking of Pharisees, this group of leaders in the Temple who seemed to be against Jesus; one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come eat with him, and Jesus does so.

6. ironically, while eating with the Pharisee a sinful woman comes up with oil to wash Jesus feet, and the Pharisee questions how Jesus could be a prophet and still interact with the woman.

7. The Pharisee apparently missed the point that Jesus made by eating with all sorts of people – Jesus has come to share with anyone and everyone.

8. The table is a communal table and strangers and friends, sinners and the righteous are all invited to sit and eat from the table.

Move 2: Jesus provides the food.

a. Luke story – lots of people gathered to hear Jesus. Again, the reminder that Jesus is rapidly expanding the table.

1. Now the time has come to feed the people.

2. Where can they find food to feed everyone?

3. Collect the food to feed the people is Jesus' answer, and lo and behold, there is enough food for everyone and some left over.

4. No one should be surprised. Jesus is, after all, the son of God, who provided manna for the Israelites in the wilderness.

b. I would also note that Jesus demands that the disciples join him in providing the food.

1. “Who's going to feed the people?” the disciples ask.

2. “You feed them,” Jesus replies.

3. a reminder that as Jesus provides for the needs of the world, Jesus sends us to help with the tasks at hand.

Move 3: A meal to remember.

a. What makes the difference between a good meal and a great meal? Milton Brasher-Cunningham writes that the difference is made by how long we linger at the table.

1. I would add and the company with whom we share the meal.

2. Whether it be an intimate dinner shared with your spouse at a dimly lit restaurant or a family meal at Thanksgiving or hot dogs and homemade ice cream at a picnic, when we remember how great the meal was, it's not just the food we remember, it's the memory of the people with whom we shared the meal.

3. In the Mark story we read this morning, the way Jesus is described as eating uses the Greek word for "reclined," which indicates that the home was probably a home where wealthy people who had eating pillows that they would lean back on while they ate lived.

4.t he meal is more than eating to live, it is the making of a memory.

5. I bet that after Jesus ascended to heaven many of the stories told about Jesus were about meals that he had shared with them. Times they had laughed or had serious conversations around the table.

b. No surprise, then, that when Jesus chooses to announce what his ultimate purpose was that he does so at the Passover feast and uses food and drink to illustrate his point.

1. Imagine you are going to announce that you have come to save the world and that you are going to die for all the world.

2. How do you announce that news?

3. Today, maybe a series of billboards on the highways? Or better yet, a Youtube for everyone to watch?

4. But Jesus creates a memory built around a meal.

5. This bread is my body, broken for you. This wine is my blood shed for you. Whenever you eat it, remember me.

c. You've heard of comfort food, of course.

1.what is yours?

2. think for a moment about why it gives you comfort.

3. I bet it's more than the taste of the food.

4. Chocolate is one of my many (these days) comfort food. Why? I suppose I like chocolate. But it also takes me back to being a kid and my mother bringing us a candy bar every week from the grocery store. A reward on Saturday morning.

5. If I'm by myself at home and feeling lonely, I whip up some tuna casserole. Nothing very special about that meal – except it was staple growing up and my family has all sorts of stories about tuna casserole (ask me about tuna casserole bringing the dog back to life sometime). Cooking and eating it brings back memories, which comfort.

d. when we gather around our Lord's Table, we find comfort – both in the memory of Christ's invitation to share the meal with him, and in the celebration that in the bread and cup we receive the Risen Lord.

Conclusion: I'm not sure how healthy eating and all the different diets fit into the Jesus' style of sharing meals with anyone and everyone. I suppose that's another sermon. But, we do know that the one who invites us to Table set before us is the one who expands the table to include even us, is the who provides the food for us, is the one who offers himself to us.