gather at the table
When I was in the 8th grade is when The Passion of the Christ hit theaters.
This is an informal statistic based on no research what-so-ever, but I’m nearly positive that 100% of households with children enrolled in private schools, parents were freaking out over whether or not their children were old enough to see the blood and gore of Jesus dying on the cross.
My parents decided I was old enough. It was my first R rated movie.
*insert a thousand eye-rolls for Christian culture.*
Don't get me wrong, I love the movie and it's incredibly powerful. I’ve seen it many times since then, and one of the most memorable parts for me is a moment when Jesus reminisces to a playful memory he has with his mother, Mary, where he is building a raised dinner table, which seems to have been a new concept for the ancient world.
In these last few months, for no reason whatsoever, I can’t stop thinking about the table.
The Bible has table references sprinkled all over the place.
"Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He flipped over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”
Matthew 21:12
This is not-so-secretly one of my favorite stories, because we see Jesus getting straight pissed. Which I, personally, love.
“And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom.”
Luke 22:29-30
…A reference that shows Jesus doing quite the contrary amidst a table.
Jesus did two things with tables.
He flipped them.
And He prepared them.
In other words He uses tables to show His righteous anger, or His fierce love.
But no matter the deep emotion that is expressed, I’m learning that it all has the same heartbeat.
He uses tables to bring people together.
Maybe that’s why Jesus was a carpenter? To make tables. Seems logical.
And maybe that’s the deeper reason why He flipped the table?
Because God’s design for tables was never to bring separation or division, but it was always designed for communion and togetherness.
I’m grateful for both the righteous anger and the fierce love.
In them is found both justice and mercy.
It's His righteous anger that makes me feel safe and protected.
And it's because of His fierce love that I know I belong.
And it’s at the table where all are welcome to gather.
