A Meal

Amy Oden

Insights Blog for Church of the Resurrection

Luke 22

What if we thought of our faith lives as comprised primarily of eating meals together? What if sharing a meal around the table was our primary way of worship and witness? In this passage from Luke, in the last week of Jesus’ life, this is exactly what Jesus seems to tell us. “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19-20).

Gathering around a table sharing food is basic to all human life. We need it to survive. At meals, we know ourselves to be finite creatures in need of sustenance. At meals, we take in nourishment until, eventually, we will have to eat again. We always return to this primary human need, shared by all human beings.

And maybe Jesus knows that we need table fellowship for community, too. Jesus shows us that this fundamental act of sharing life together is the way we become the body of Christ. In addition to physical food, we need the nourishment of one another, connecting our lives into something bigger, truer, where we are fed the Bread of Life. For, Jesus says, the meal is the new covenant of love, beyond the covenant of law.

For sure, I don’t think Jesus is saying that meals are the only component of discipleship. But when we are tempted to make certain beliefs, forms of activism or worship styles the litmus test of our faith, “Do this in remembrance of me” can be a helpful reminder.

Today, enjoy a meal, a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, with others. Do this in remembrance of Jesus’ invitation to love.