“Give Back”.” Pay it forward”. “Spread kindness like confetti.” Have you noticed any other “goodwill movements” in the news or on social media? As Christians, we have our own. We show love to others because God loved us first and gave us more than we deserve when he sent his son to die for us.

When Jesus comes again he will rule as judge. All people, those still on earth and those that have died, will be judged on the last day. Some people will go to heaven, and some people will go to hell. He will look into the heart of each person that ever lived and send them to live eternally with him in heaven or to be eternally separated from him in hell. Not everyone will be saved. Both heaven and hell are eternal and permanent. Sounds harsh, doesn’t it? That in one instant our eternity will be decided by one person?

This truth sounds harsh because it is contrary to what the world tries to tell us. The world tries to tell us that whatever a person believes is “their truth”. In this time of tolerance, the world wants us to believe that “everyone has a little good in them” and that everyone has a right to “their truth”. But not everyone will go to heaven. Not everyone believes the real truth that will give them a place in heaven.

Jesus describes this “last day” at the end of his ministry, as recorded in the book of Matthew. Jesus says that he will remember our time on earth and wants us to live a life of service for others. He wants us to help people by caring for them physically, emotionally and spiritually.

It is important that we note that Jesus is not saying that we can earn heaven by serving others. The path to heaven is through the blood of Jesus alone, not by any good we do on this earth. And yet, showing love to others by serving them is evidence that we have faith in Christ. When Jesus says “whatever you did for the least of my brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” he means that even the simplest of acts that we do for those he puts in our homes and community will show our faith. We are so thankful for the grace that God showed us by forgiving our many sins, that we want to serve others. By serving others, our love for God shines through.

There is nothing worse than waiting. Well, maybe there is but when you are waiting for something, nothing else seems to matter at that moment. And yet you teach your children how to wait. It is an important life lesson, isn’t it? Patience is a virtue. Patience with grace is a high virtue. The reason we struggle with waiting is that we think of ourselves as very important. “Doesn’t the DMV clerk know whom I am and that I am super important matters to attend to? If he did, he would get this line moving.” Waiting is a harsh law. It turns out you and I are not that important. A humbling experience for the both the adult and the preschooler.

And yet we all know good things come to those who wait. Another lesson you hope to teach your students. When we take our time with our work, better results occur. When we save up our money to make a big purchase, there is a sense of satisfaction (as opposed to the guilt of credit!).

We are told to wait for the Lord. It can be a painful experience. But it is also a delight. It is a delightful experience because we are confident in the Lord. In our saddest moments we might cry out, “Come, Lord Jesus, come!” But in our happiest moments we simply delight in life now and the life to come. It is a win-win situation for us. No matter what, Jesus will give us life.

This is the source of all confidence, another characteristic you hope to instill in your students. King David was confident in the midst of a chaotic political situation because he believed in the resurrection from the dead. He knew that he would see the goodness of God in the land of the living (even if he died in battle). He knew that he had the ultimate victory over death. This made him confident in all things. He could take chances. He could venture all things. He didn’t have to rely on dishonorable tactics. He could do what was right even if he was persecuted or defeated in an unfair world.

So it is with us. Your confidence and the confidence of your students is in Christ. If Christ has taken care of our biggest problem (sin and death), then what do we need to be timid about? This relaxes our tension and allows us to be free. We are confident. And with this confidence we wait for the Lord in delight, enjoying the gift of life now and confidence in God’s gift of eternal life to come.

King David, the author of Psalm 27, wanted to build the Temple. He wanted to build, quite literally, a house for God. But he was not able to build the house of God because he was a man of war and God didn’t want his conquests (godly though they were) to be associated with the building of his house of worship. Instead David’s son, Solomon, would build the Temple of the Lord. Yet thoughts of God’s house were never far from David’s mind. It’s not hard to imagine that he dreamed it, planned it, and even sketched it out.

David was not only concerned with the house of God and the worship of Israel. He also concerned himself with a royal palace and the patriotism this might engender in the people of Israel. So he built himself a palace that would have been very close to the palace of God, the Temple. Two houses in close proximity to each other but with two purposes. One was for worship, the other for national pride and strength. Guess which one David sings about in Psalm 27? Not the house of power he built for himself but the house of God.

David ultimately knew that the splendor of God’s grace was far better than the splendor of any earthly kingdom. David knew it in his heart, but it did not always show in his actions, as we know. We struggle with this too. It’s not just our castles, that is our homes, versus our churches, that is God’s house, but rather where we seek God.

Do we seek him in power or in suffering? Do we find him in majestic and glorious vistas or at the ugly cross? Do we encounter him by ourselves or in his house where his Word is read and preached and his meal served? David wrestled with that question and so do we.

We find God at the cross. And he is delivered to us in his Word, Meal, and Baptism. Here we see true love. This is the beauty of God’s Temple: a church made of forgiven sinners. This is God’s house: a place where all people are loved on account of Christ no matter what their background or track record. No, it is not the grandeur of King David’s Palace. It’s not even the grandeur Solomon’s Temple, long destroyed. It is the forgiveness of sinners.

This is when the house of God becomes a home. A safe place. A comforting place. A place of forgiveness and peace. This is ultimately what David meant as he, no doubt, compared his palace to the coming Temple. He was comparing this fleeting world to the safety of God’s loving protection. When we compare our worldly home to God’s house let’s see the loving forgiveness of God’s home as our greatest treasure.

“She was mean to me!” Betsy cried out to you. Not having seen the incident, you bring both of the little ones together to find out more. You quietly ask each child to share what they did to the other one. Emma had lashed out at Betsy with words that hurt. As you talk together, Emma starts to understand that she had hurt Betsy with her words. “I’m sorry,” Emma says with tears. And then you wait. How will Betsy respond?

Can you imagine the guilt Joseph’s brothers had been carrying? For well over 30 years, they knew what they had done to Joseph. They alienated him. They threw him into a pit. They sold him into slavery. For all those years, they had no idea what had become of him—until now. Here they were at his mercy. The famine had led them to Egypt to hopefully get supplies that could be found nowhere else. Through a series of events, they had come to realize that the powerful leader that had control of the supplies they needed was none other than their brother, Joseph. If they had been able to push the guilt down over the years, it all came to the surface and their remorse flooded out. They admitted all they had done and begged for his forgiveness.

If anyone had an opportunity for pay back, it was Joseph. He had the authority to do almost anything. He could repay them with a similar fate. He could exile them. He could have them imprisoned or worse. What was his response? “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?”

Did they hear that right? Was he forgiving them? Yes. He was indeed. Why? Joseph knew God’s love and forgiveness in his own life. He knew that God had brought blessings through challenge after challenge to fulfill God’s plan. His heart was forgiving and loving, and he shared with them the precious words of forgiveness.

Each of us has someone in our lives who has hurt us in some way. This hurt can fester and drive a wedge between you and them. We also have caused hurt, especially to God each time we sin. In our devotion last week, we were reminded how God in love, washes each one of our sins completely away. He does this over and over and over. He does this without an expectation of anything but faith in him through Jesus. We don’t deserve it. By God’s grace, we have it—forgiveness from him.

As we consider this overwhelming free forgiveness, we can consider those we know. When someone comes to us with a broken heart, we can recall God’s love for us. Just as God forgives us, we too can say, “I forgive you.” What a gift we have from God. What a gift we can share with each other.

She wipes her eyes over and over again. The tears don’t seem to stop. She is crying so hard that she can barely get the words out. “I’m……… sorry.” She struggles to make eye contact with you as she waits for your response. She knows it was wrong and she is so very sorry. You quietly say to her, “I forgive you.” As the words slowly sink in and she sees the gentle look on your face, she eventually calms to hiccups. “Really?” she asks. “Really,” you respond.

You can’t believe you’ve done it again. You’ve let the sharp words fly out and wound a colleague. You see the hurt in their eyes, but you add to it all with justification in your mind for what you’ve just said. “I’m only saying what is true. I can’t help it if they can’t take it.” Later, as you reflect on your day, you realize the likely impact of your words. The guilt floods over you.

Mercy. What a simple word with a powerful impact. I’ve heard it defined as “not getting what you deserve.” What do you and I deserve? Think of the many, many times you’ve been impatient with a young child. Think of the many, many times that you spoke harshly to another adult. Think of the many, many times that you criticized someone when they weren’t around. Think of the many, many times you were jealous, greedy, or lazy. What do you and I deserve in God’s eyes?

You look to him and you see mercy. Don’t get me wrong. God’s standards and expectations are perfection and you and I fail at that constantly. But when you and I look at him, we see and hear mercy because of Jesus. Jesus said to his Father, “I’ll take her punishment because I love her.” Mercy.

Each time you are tempted to be impatient, harsh, unkind, jealous, greedy, lazy, ungrateful, look at his mercy for you. Focus on his mercy. Be overwhelmed by his mercy. Let that mercy be your motivation to reach out in kindness to others, to defend others, to forgive each other, to reflect his mercy in your life each day. Let the mercy he shows to you, lead you to want to do God’s will.
“I forgive you,” God says to us. “Really?”, we ask. “Really. You are forgiven because of Jesus,” God says to us. Live each day wrapped in that love, that forgiveness, that mercy.

Here we are. The beginning of another new school year. The beginning of a new school year is always a mix of emotions for the children, the families, and the teachers. This year is no exception to that. How are you doing? Do you find yourself occasionally thinking, “It’s just not the same?” You may be starting in person for the first time since early spring. You might be heading back to the virtual setting. You’ve likely worked diligently all summer preparing for multiple possibilities. You may be ready for tomorrow, but you know that the day after that might be different. You are likely excited to reconnect with your students and get to know some new ones. You are probably eager to use some new ideas that you gleaned over the summer. And you also could very well be concerned about the safety of your students, their families, your colleagues, your family, and yourself.

Today’s verse is written through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration by Paul to the Christians in Corinth. He describes them as a letter from Christ…written on human hearts. They were not Paul’s witnesses but Christ’s. As they lived their life of faith and shared Christ’s message, they were like a letter carrying the most precious message ever written. They shared the gift of grace and forgiveness of Jesus with those around them.

That’s you. You too, are a letter from Christ. As you begin this year, you carry with you a message far more precious than any skill or nugget of learning. Your children may learn letters, colors, new words, number concepts, fine motor skills and many other things. You also face unique challenges this year. However, the heart of all you do is sharing Jesus with them. You’ll do it on a Zoom meeting or in person when you teach the Bible lessons for sure. You’ll share Jesus when you teach them about sharing and forgiving and apologizing. You’ll share Jesus when you notice the child who isn’t connecting in a way that you would hope, and you’ll reach out and find a way for them. Your laughter and joy in learning, your patience in the tough moments, your caring heart that reaches out to encourage each parent, your prayers with and for each child can all reflect Jesus’ love. You are a letter from Christ that reminds the children, their families, your colleagues, and even yourself that while this year may be different, the love of our Savior never changes. His letter is a love letter written in the Word for you and for all. May the Lord bless you and keep you ever close to him as you share his letter. May he bless this new school year in ways that only he can.

As the little girl stands at the edge of the pool, her dad reaches out and says to her, “Jump, I’ve got you.” Some will hesitate but most, with a bit of urging, fly into dad’s waiting arms. They’ve done it before, and he caught her every time. She’s jumped from the sofa, the top step, and now the pool. She jumps with a giggle of trust and excitement.

In our verses for today, Jesus and his disciples had finished feeding the crowd with the small portions of fish and bread. Over and over, the disciples have witnessed Jesus responding in love with healing and providing for those around him. Jesus sent the disciples on ahead of him. While crossing the lake, a storm came up that tossed the boat in a way that would raise fear in most of us. On top of that, the previous verses say that Jesus went out to them shortly before dawn. What’s worse than being on a lake during a storm? Being on a lake during a storm at night. Off in the distance the disciples see someone crossing the lake. Thinking he was a ghost; their fears were heightened even more. Then they hear his voice telling them “It is I.” We can count on Peter to respond impulsively and tell Jesus that if it is truly him, to invite Peter to join him on the water. Jesus shares one word— “Come.” No long explanation to prove who he was. “Come.”

Sometimes we can feel like we’re in a storm in the middle of the night. We feel like we being tossed about by worry, fear, doubt, guilt. We can feel helpless and anxious. We can so often try to manage it all on our own. We fret. We worry. We may find ways to manage our stress that is not good for us or God pleasing. The worst of our struggles may be guilt over a particular sin or many sins.

In those times, reach for the Word. In it you will find a reassurance even greater than the trust the little girl has in her dad. Over and over the Bible reminds us of God’s love for us, his power over evil, over enemies of his, and over our sin. Recall the stories of Daniel, Noah, Joseph, and David. God’s love for his people and his power over all things is beyond our understanding. Of all the things he has done, they all point to Jesus—the ultimate promise kept. Jesus’ defeat of Satan sealed our assurance that forgiveness and heaven is ours through faith. We can trust that and we can trust him.

You may not be facing the fear of jumping into a pool or being on a boat during a storm, but each day can bring concerns and fears that make us anxious. Look to Jesus’ open arms saying to you, “Come.” Go to him in prayer and confidence knowing not only that can he help you, he wants to help you because of his unending love for you.

A friend called me recently. She was struggling with a decision about the upcoming school year. She had two plans and was looking for recommendations or thoughts to help her make the decision. Should she go with Plan A or Plan B? We worked through the usual questions: What are the benefits of both plans? What are the concerns for each? Both had merit and both had concerns. There was no clear winner.

It’s likely that everyone reading or hearing this devotion is wrestling with a list of decisions now that they feel unprepared or ill-equipped to make. Different sources have conflicting information which complicates our decision making even more. The gravity of those decisions can weigh heavily on us, especially when those decisions impact those we serve, those with whom we serve, our family and friends. We want to pray about it but even then, we may struggle with what we should be praying for.

How amazing today’s verse is! How often do we look at the list of decisions, responsibilities, and tasks and feel overwhelmed? We may not even know where to start that prayer. But here is our comfort…he knows. The Lord knows. He knows you, your struggles, your challenges, your desire to make decisions that are best for the work he has given you to do. He provides the Holy Spirit who speaks on our behalf. In the Holy Spirit’s intercessions for us are God’s love for us and for all. His prayers, unlike ours, are always for God’s people in accordance to God’s will.

We all want to make decisions that align with God’s will. What is God’s will for you and for me? What is the right decision? Gather information. Ask yourself the benefits and concerns. Be sure to ask if any decision is sinful and of course, avoid that. Go to God in prayer. Keep going to the Word each day to be reminded of all he has done and his promises for you. Our confidence doesn’t come from us but from God. He eagerly hears our prayers. And know that the Holy Spirit is there, interceding for us when we are weak or the words don’t come. What a blessing to know that God not only welcomes our prayers to him, but also provides the Holy Spirit to speak on our behalf.

She cried and cried and cried. As you sit by her, gently rubbing her back while singing softly, the room slowly becomes quieter until her last sniffle. As you look at her peacefully sleeping, it’s hard to imagine that this picture of tranquility was a bundle of fear and resistance only minutes ago. But your patient, calm response and gentle voice provided the reassurance she needed to let go and let sleep come.

Several hours later, you find yourself tossing and turning. Your day had several difficult moments that are hard to let go of as you try to fall asleep. The most difficult of all is the realization of the impact of your words, said in haste, that have wounded a colleague. Or, it might be the anxiety of not knowing if you are doing all you can to provide safe, loving care to the children you serve. Have you really done everything you can?

While your anxiety and that of the little girl may not sound the same, (hopefully you aren’t crying uncontrollably), the feeling of fear, guilt, or anxiousness can be very similar. As you lay there trying to both fall asleep and solve all your problems at the same time, you find no success in either.

“I will give you rest.” That sounds wonderful in the middle of the night. Does this rest mean a solid eight uninterrupted hours of restful sleep? No. Does it refer to that ever-elusive nap that you might dream about? No.

There is no greater peace than a relationship that is strong especially when that relationship is with God our Father. The peace that we have knowing that all those unkind words, those mistakes we’ve made, the selfish actions, the laziness, the pride are no longer barriers for our relationship with God. As God the Father looks at us, Jesus sits next to him and says, “I took care of all that they owe you.” This peace, this rest is indescribable. Jesus did it all. His journey to the cross and grave, removed every single sin. And on top of all that, he also promises that he is with us today, tonight, each day until he calls us home to him in heaven. We can trust him even more than that little girl trusted your gentle hand and soothing voice. We can be assured that while the troubles of each day will continue to come, our Lord is there. He’s there with a gentle but powerful word of reassurance, “I will give you rest.” Rest well in his grace, in his forgiveness, in his promises.

Don’t be afraid. We’ve all heard those words. We’ve all said those words. When you’re waiting for a grade on an important exam. When you’re waiting for test results from a doctor. Sitting up at night, watching for your child to come home. Comforting a young child as they wait for their mom or dad to arrive. Don’t be afraid. I don’t know about you, but those words by themselves, while well intended, didn’t really make my fear or concern go away.

I love getting up early and taking a long walk in our neighborhood. There’s something special about the quiet of the morning and the sound of birds as the day begins. Lately I’ve noticed a couple of tiny bright yellow finches and a family of cranes strolling with two young ones. However, I can’t honestly say that I’ve given a lot of attention to the humble sparrows in my neighborhood. They seem ordinary, unremarkable.

Our world is always full of struggles, but the struggles right now seem more profound. The ongoing uncertainly of a pandemic can fill you and me with mixed emotions. The racial and political tensions are difficult to understand and to watch. In it all, we can feel anxious, frustrated, even helpless. Worry can creep in and shake our confidence. We can find ourselves struggling with despair and even a sense of hopelessness.

As we consider the verses from Matthew in our current context, what an amazing comfort we find! The Father watches over and cares for even the simple sparrow. If God our Father takes such care about every sparrow, wouldn’t he do the same and more for you and for me… the ones who are so important to him that he even knows every single hair on our heads. (Wouldn’t you like to know that number?)? When he made the world, Adam and Eve were created differently from all else in creation. God himself breathed life in Adam. His love and care for people was there from the beginning and continues for us today. His promise of Jesus was there as Adam and Eve were ushered out of the Garden of Eden. His promise was kept at the manger, at the cross, at the empty tomb, and as he ascended back to heaven.

Don’t be afraid. Alone, those words have little impact. Yet when combined with God’s promises, they become powerful words of comfort. So when you see a small sparrow, be reminded that the Lord watches over each of them. And if he cares that much for this seemingly ordinary little bird, it’s hard to imagine how dearly he cares for you and for me. So don’t be afraid.
Hard things are part of our life. Know that in it all, God keeps his promise to be there with you and with me through it all.

Have you noticed that Jesus asked the most “unlikely prospects” to be his followers and helpers? Matthew collected money for the government, and these tax collectors were known to be dishonest. They often collected more money than was required and kept the extra money for themselves. Tax collectors would lie, cheat, and steal from the people and it was considered to be a despicable profession.

How lonely Matthew must have felt! Hated by most people, he must have felt friendless. When Jesus approached him that day and asked Matthew to join his disciples, Matthew probably felt confused, shocked, and then elated! Knowing his sin, Matthew was so relieved to be forgiven by Jesus. Oh, how Matthew must have appreciated the love and forgiveness that Jesus gave!

When people saw or heard that the well-respected Jesus was eating with a tax collector, they were surprised and perhaps repulsed. How could Jesus eat with this despicable person and his friends? But Jesus used this moment to reveal the purpose of his ministry, which was to bring “healing” to sinners. This healing is freely given through repentance and the forgiveness of sins through Jesus himself.

Do you feel like you are unworthy to sit at the table with Jesus? We may not steal from our neighbors, but, like Matthew, we are also “unlikely prospects”. We grumble at routine tasks of service and even try to pass them off to someone else. We try to look better than our co-workers or embellish social media pages that paint ourselves as perfect. Even the good that we do is still tainted with sin.

But how happy we are that Jesus chose a “sinner” like Matthew! Jesus calls us as his own, too!

God wants us to see our sin. He gives us his Word so that we can see our many faults that leave us in need of a Savior. He wants us to see our unworthiness and he wants us to seek Jesus and his forgiveness. And then, upon receiving the gift of forgiveness, we show that we love him by following his commands. How happy we are that God chooses us, the “unlikely prospects” to be his own!

The comforting words in our Bible verse today are the very last words that the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the people in Corinth, a city in Greece. Paul visited the people of Corinth, called “Corinthians”, and lived with them for over a year as part of a missionary journey. Because of his extended stay with them, he knew the Corinthians very well. He saw their struggle against immorality and sin and knew how desperately they needed to see their wrong-doing and hear comfort of God’s Word.

In this verse we see the unfathomable complexity of God: one God but three persons. We refer to this as the Trinity. Paul uses just one word to show us the work that each part of the Trinity does.

Jesus, who is fully God and fully man, was born into the world on Christmas Day. The word that Paul uses to describe Jesus is “grace.” Grace is love that is undeserved. The work of Jesus Christ was to live a perfect life in our place, and then suffer and die on the cross in our place, and then give us, though undeserved, the gift of heaven that HE earned! We do not deserve the gift of heaven, but have been given life because of Jesus’ amazing grace.
The word that Paul chose for God the Father is “love.” Oh, what love God has for us—that he gave up his only Son, Jesus, to die in our place! Despite all of our sins, God still loves us and wants us to come home to him in heaven.

God the Holy Spirit, who came to the disciples on that first Pentecost, lives in our hearts and prepares us to serve God by serving others. The word to summarize the work of the Holy Spirit is “fellowship.” When we think of “fellowship,” we think of people coming together. But in this case, the Holy Spirit “brings us together” with Jesus first. We are first brought to fellowship with Jesus Christ, and then, by the continued work of the Holy Spirit, we also have fellowship with other believers.

We are just like the long-ago people of Corinth! We daily struggle against our sins, and we daily need the power of God’s forgiveness in Christ. God is holy and just. Through his perfection we are given the gift of eternal life in heaven. May we find comfort in these words! Through the Word we are daily reminded that we have been freely given grace, love, fellowship, and eternal life. May we gladly share these gifts that our God gave us with everyone.

After Moses’s death, Joshua was given an important task—to lead the Israelites into the promised land of Canaan, breaking down the walls of Jericho along the way. Why was this such an important task? So their descendants could be as numerous as the stars in the sky, fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham. And one of these descendants would be Jesus, the savior of the world.

Joshua played a vital role in that plan for the salvation of humanity. He couldn’t change his mind and keep the Israelites in Moab. They had to continue on toward Jericho, and God was there to grant them strength along the way. You also play a vital role in God’s plan for the salvation of humanity. And just like Joshua, you will have walls to overcome along the way, and that can be terrifying! Thankfully, you have the same command and comfort that God gave to Joshua: be strong and courageous! God is with you!

You have the privilege of sharing the good news of Jesus with children and their families every day. Whether shared in the classroom or through virtual learning, the message is the same. God loves you, sent his son for you, and wants you to be with him in heaven. Therefore, do not be afraid when you invite a family to church whether in person or virtually—God is with you! Do not be discouraged when you can’t keep up with the demands of daily life—God is with you! Do not be afraid when enrollment is lower than expected—God is with you! Do not be discouraged when the budget gets tight – God is with you!

At the end of the day, the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. God is with you with his power but also with his grace for the times when you fail. Jesus was strong and courageous as he made his way to the cross, and therefore you can be strong and courageous as you share his love with others.

I have a student in my class who had a hard time socializing at the beginning of the school year. Rather than playing with the other children on the playground, he would come and stand right next to me, sticking close to my side. In the classroom, he chose many activities to do by himself rather than in a group. Just like the disciples in the reading today, he had a troubled heart. The idea of interacting with the children made him very nervous. I’m sure you have seen a child going through similar challenges in your setting.

It is a sad reality that at one time or another, all the children in our care will have troubled hearts of various magnitudes. Seeing a child with a troubled heart makes our hearts hurt as well. But this passage gives us a bigger picture—troubles are temporary; heaven is eternal. Jesus has a place waiting for you. We get to share that truth with the children we care for every day. What a blessing!

What’s more, that promise isn’t just for the children under our care. It’s for you, too. We also have troubled hearts sometimes. On days when you feel your work isn’t making any difference, remember Jesus has a place for you. On days when responsibilities seem overwhelming, remember Jesus has a place for you. On days when sickness covers the whole world, remember Jesus has a place for you. And by his grace, remember what Jesus said to his disciples as he was about to go to his death: “You know the way to the place where I am going.” And on the days when you need him most, Jesus promises you know the way, too.

Eating is a spiritual thing. I don’t mean to be gross here, but it is not like other bodily functions. It is not utilitarian. We are not machines that simply need fuel. Sure there are times when we get a quick bite to eat on the run but it is not like filling up our cars with gasoline or even drinking water. It is a soul thing as much as it is a body thing. We eat with people who are dear to us. We take time to prepare and present food for special occasions. It’s a soul thing.

God made us people who relish food. Even from the very beginning our relationship with him had to do with food, at least in part. Eat from this tree. Don’t eat from this tree. Throughout the Bible we are told stories of Table Fellowship: Don’t eat with these people. Eat with these people. Eating with someone in the ancient world was a powerful statement of camaraderie, companionship, and even charity.

No wonder Jesus came and ate with sinners. He flipped the script upside down. He comes and shows love (charity) and oneness and fellowship with sinners. Instead of their lowly status ruining his reputation; it is his righteousness that makes them worthy. So when we dine with Christ, he is saying, “You are one with me. My righteousness replaces your unrighteousness.” It is most definitely a spiritual thing.
When Jesus ate with the Emmaus disciples he was doing three things. He revealed himself to the disciples. He proved that he was truly alive (because ghosts don’t eat). And he showed them that he was one with them, that is, they were forgiven.

It might sound corny but dining with someone matters. It matters to your students that you eat with them. It’s a soul thing. It matters that you eat with friends and family. It’s a spiritual thing. It matters that you eat with your Lord (Holy Communion). It’s a forgiveness thing.
It can be difficult to be away from loved ones as many still are right now. Don’t you miss your students! The joy will be great when we are together again. Like a family reunion we will dine together. This is true of heaven as well. We will dine with those who have gone before at the great Wedding Supper of the Lamb. What a great reunion that will be!