pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: banquet


by Leave a comment

There Is Some Distance

Reading: Psalm 23:5-6 – “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Photo credit: Brett Jordan

Moving into these last two verses of Psalm 23 today, we will personalize these, in the spirit of Lent. In the first half of verse 5 the Lord prepares a table for us “in the presence” of our “enemies.” At first I picture them standing a little ways away, watching. But then I realize that Jesus ate with those generally considered “enemies” – tax collectors, prostitutes… So my enemies, they would be sitting at this table prepared by Christ. Some at the table will be seeing this from the other side: What is John doing at my table?!

Then there’s the setting – we are anointed, blessed. The cup overflows as does everything else on the table. There always was and is an abundance to everything Jesus does. There is always more than enough. At this table there is also an abundance of love and grace, empathy and mercy, compassion and forgiveness.

This scene is most often portrayed as a wedding banquet. I envision lots of tables like the one I described above plus a huge table at the front where Jesus sits with a host of people. Could this smaller table that Jesus prepared for us be the entry point to the real celebration going on up front? That is described in verses 6. The house of the Lord, our eternal dwelling place, is where “goodness and love” will overflow every day, all day. And perhaps these must begin to flow at our outer tables so that reconciliation and the restoration of all of our relationships can occur. Only then, when we are made right with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ, only then will we sit with Christ at his table.

I believe the same truth exists right now. If we look at others and consider them an “enemy” then there is distance between us and Christ. “Enemy” is just as broad a term as “neighbor.” If there is anyone that we would love less than the one we truly love the most, then we have work to do here and now.

Prayer: Lord God, I know, I believe that you call me to love unconditionally. That’s how you love me. Help me to bridge the gap, Lord, between how I know I’m supposed to live and how I actually love. Day by day bring me closer to your table of grace. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Eternal Salvation

Reading: Isaiah 25: 6-9

Verse 9: “This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

Photo credit: Timo Volz

Today is All Saint’s Day so we depart from the lectionary readings for this week to read from Isaiah 25. This church holiday expresses thanks for the saints who have come before. Some churches celebrated this holiday yesterday and some will celebrate this upcoming Sunday as we remember those who impacted our lives of faith.

Our verses from Isaiah speak of a coming day. These words speak of the day when we will all be in the presence of God. For some of us that will be the moment after we draw our last breath here in earth. For some it will be when the clouds roll back and Jesus returns in glory. On that day we will join the Lord at “a feast of rich food for all people’s.” On that day the Lord will “destroy the shroud” – the shroud of death, the shroud of sin, the shroud of hate and evil, the shroud of division… All that separates us from God and from one another will be no more as God “wipes away the tears” and “removes the disgrace” of all the faithful.

For those who have gone on to glory, they have experienced the truth of verse nine. From the other side of the veil they have come to know that “This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” Standing in the glory of the Lord they have had their trust fulfilled. They have begun to rejoice in their eternal salvation. God’s mercy, grace, and love have carried them through this life and on into the glorious presence of the Lord.

Yes, there is a sadness to All Saint’s Day as we are reminded of our human loss. There is also a great joy as we celebrate those who have attained their eternal rest and as we look forward to feasting at the heavenly banquet and praising the Lord for our eternal salvation. Thanks be to God for the mercy, grace, and love that sees us through this life and on into glory.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for each saint who has helped shape and form my faith. Thank you for those who have poured faith into my heart. Use me to pour faith into the lives of others each day. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Eternal Salvation

Reading: Isaiah 25: 6-9

Verse 9: “This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

Photo credit: Timo Volz

Today is All Saint’s Day so we depart from the lectionary readings for this week to read from Isaiah 25. This church holiday expresses thanks for the saints who have come before. Some churches celebrated this holiday yesterday and some will celebrate this upcoming Sunday as we remember those who impacted our lives of faith.

Our verses from Isaiah speak of a coming day. These words speak of the day when we will all be in the presence of God. For some of us that will be the moment after we draw our last breath here in earth. For some it will be when the clouds roll back and Jesus returns in glory. On that day we will join the Lord at “a feast of rich food for all people’s.” On that day the Lord will “destroy the shroud” – the shroud of death, the shroud of sin, the shroud of hate and evil, the shroud of division… All that separates us from God and from one another will be no more as God “wipes away the tears” and “removes the disgrace” of all the faithful.

For those who have gone on to glory, they have experienced the truth of verse nine. From the other side of the veil they have come to know that “This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” Standing in the glory of the Lord they have had their trust fulfilled. They have begun to rejoice in their eternal salvation. God’s mercy, grace, and love have carried them through this life and on into the glorious presence of the Lord.

Yes, there is a sadness to All Saint’s Day as we are reminded of our human loss. There is also a great joy as we celebrate those who have attained their eternal rest and as we look forward to feasting at the heavenly banquet and praising the Lord for our eternal salvation. Thanks be to God for the mercy, grace, and love that sees us through this life and on into glory.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for each saint who has helped shape and form my faith. Thank you for those who have poured faith into my heart. Use me to pour faith into the lives of others each day. Amen.


by Leave a comment

We All Sleep

Reading: Matthew 25: 1-13

Verse 5: “The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep”.

Today’s and tomorrow’s passage takes place at a wedding. The Jewish wedding of Jesus’ day was different than the weddings we attend today. The ceremony itself would be at the bride’s home. The wedding banquet would be at the bridegroom’s home. In our passage we find the bridesmaids awaiting the groom and his side of the wedding party. They are waiting to parade him into the wedding space with some celebration and excitement. But the bridegroom is delayed, so they wait into the night. We are not sure why he is delayed. One suggestion I read is that the groom and bride’s father could not agree on the bride’s price – another custom that we do not practice in many parts of the world today.

In our passage we learn that some of the bridesmaids are wise and some are foolish. Some were prepared for a lengthy wait and some were not. For some, this was probably not their first wedding. Some brought extra oil in jars and some did not. This fact will have a dramatic affect on both the wise and foolish bridesmaids. The hour gets late. In verse five we read, “The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep”. All ten fell asleep. None stayed awake the whole time. All ten fell asleep.

In terms of our faith, we all fall asleep. Even the most devout Christian has moments or even seasons when they walk in the ways of the world, when they allow anger or pride or some other non-Christian emotion to control their words or actions. Whether just a few minutes or a couple of hourss or a few days or many years, we can all allow or push or choose to lay aside our faith for a time. Sometimes it is almost innocent, like the ten bridesmaids who literally fell asleep. Sometimes it is more planned, more fully considered, more thought through. Sin can be like that.

Then came the call that awakened all ten. Five trimmed their lamps, righted the ship, got back on the narrow path. Five could not. Yes, we’ve all been there – in both scenarios. The Holy Spirit whispers to us, gently nudges us, reminding us of our faith, that treasure in a jar of clay. We return to our walk of faith. But we’ve all also ignored the Holy Spirit conviction and kept on living in sin. We had slept too long and there was no oil to refill our lamps at that point. Today’s story begs two questions for me today. First, when temptation comes, is their sufficient faith to turn sin away? Second, when temptation leads to sin and faith slumbers, will there be enough oil to relight my walk of faith?

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the reminder and for the call to introspection today. Daily discipline is essential to continue on the walk of faith. Keep me diligent. Also needed is a humble spirit and a willing heart. Only then will I hear well the Holy Spirit. Strengthen my faith day by day, Lord, filling my jar with faith each day. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Changed?

Reading: Matthew 22: 13-14

Verse 13: “Throw him outside, into the darkness”.

The parable that we began yesterday ends with a hard truth of our faith. Yesterday we read about the invitation to the banquet going out to all – “both the good and bad”. While many folks will hear about Jesus and many of these will hear or sense a call to follow him, many will reject Jesus just as the religious leaders and most Jews did. Jesus speaks to this in verse fourteen, where he says, “For many are invited, but few are chosen”.

The man thrown out of the banquet represents those who hear the invitation but refuse to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They refuse to change, to put on a new self. Instead, they remain a person of the world. The king tells the attendants to bind him and “throw him outside, into the darkness”. The darkness represents hell, where there will be much “weeping and gnashing of teeth”. This hard truth reminds us that as we leave this world, there are only two options. Those that fail to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior will experience eternity in a place of torment and anguish. The few that are faithful will be chosen for an eternity in the light and love and joy of the King of kings.

The man made the choice to come unprepared. He put in no effort to be a part of the event, to know the host. He responded to the invite to get out of it what he could. Still today the appearance of faith can be a tool used to gain favor or standing or some other advantage in the world. In the end only a changed heart, a heart fully committed to Jesus Christ, will lead us in into the final wedding banquet. May it be so for you and for me. Amen!

Prayer: Loving God, when I try and get by with a shallow or pious or fake faith, convict me quickly. Continue to walk with me each moment, for the day and your is unknown. In all I say and do and think, may I honor you. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Glorious and Beautiful

Reading: Matthew 25: 1-13

Verse 6: “Here’s the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him!”

In our parable today, ten bridesmaids await the arrival of the bridegroom.  The festivities cannot begin until he arrives and ushers in all of the bridesmaids.  It will be quite a party.  A wedding banquet lasted days and was a demonstration of all that the host family could offer.  It was an event full of joy and laughter and celebration.  Of course these ten bridesmaids cannot wait!

Then the shout goes out: “Here’s the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him!”  What excitement!  But when the bridegroom arrives we find that five of them were not really prepared.  They only came with some oil in their lamps and must go and to get more.  There must have been some indecision at this point – stay and hope I have enough?  Go and get more oil?  All must have wished they had filled their lamps before coming to the banquet.  All must have wished they were prepared when the call came that the bridegroom was on the way.  It is sad that they cannot enter the banquet.

But what joy for those who were prepared, for the five who did get to enter the wedding banquet.  They step inside and see the beautiful hall, well-decorated for the occasion.  They smell the lavish and tasty food prepared for the celebration.  They can sense the emotional buzz, the excitement.  The five step inside the door that the bridegroom hols open for them and they become a part of this beautiful and glorious scene.

One day we too will stand at that door.  One day we too will have the opportunity to hear, “Well done good and faithful servant.”  As we read the Word of God each day, we hear the call of God’s love.  As we pray and get connected to God, we sense His love covering us as we pray.  As we worship, we are in God’s presence.  We are preparing for the day.  All these ways we connect to and experience God in the day to day of life are just glimpses of the day to come.  It’s just a small taste of the moment we walk through that door and enter forever into God’s light and love.  What a glorious and beautiful day it will be!  Amen and amen.