More than a Meal.

Have a Meal!

Last Saturday night, I had the joy of sitting down to a traditional five-course Italian meal prepared by a great friend and his wife. There were six of us around the table.  Let me tell ya, they went all out. Every dish was cooked to perfection and brought out in a perfectly timed sequence. You could taste the love in every bite. I wish I could cook like that!

But as amazing as the food was, the best part of the evening wasn’t on the plate. It was around it. It was in the conversation. In the laughter. In the stories. There’s something powerful about sharing a meal with people you care about. When you break bread together, you also break barriers. Issues are explored, opportunities are vetted, and life is lived out in real time bite by bite. 

It’s no wonder Jesus so often chose meals as moments for ministry. Of all the things the gospel writers could have shared, many of the most memorable scenes take place around a table. Here are just a few:

• The Calling of Levi (Matthew’s Banquet)
  Matthew 9:10–13; Mark 2:15–17; Luke 5:29–32
  Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners at Levi’s house, angering the religious elite, but offering grace to the hungry and broken.

• Meal After the Disciples’ Mission Trip
  Mark 6:30–31
  After sending the disciples out to preach and heal, Jesus brings them back together to rest and to eat.

• Dinner at Martha and Mary’s House
  Luke 10:38–42
  Jesus dines at the home of His friends. While Mary sits at His feet and Martha serves, the table becomes a place of teaching and tension and grace.

• The Last Supper
  Matthew 26:17–30; Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–39; John 13–17
  This wasn’t just a meal. It was a moment that changed history. Jesus used bread and wine to illustrate the coming sacrifice of His body and blood. These were His final words before the cross.

Jesus did more than just eat at these meals. He taught, challenged, comforted, and loved. And He still does.

Meals have a way of slowing us down. They quiet our scattered thoughts and center us in the moment. The table gives us space to pray, talk, listen, and really see the people around us. In a world where we’re always on the move, these opportunities are rare, but they’re worth making time for.

So this week, make the effort. Carve out time. Invite a friend. Have a real meal. Let Jesus pull up a chair at your table. You might be surprised by what He reveals in the breaking of bread.

And to my incredible friends who made that night so special—thank you. You know who you are.

-Mark