In the Bible, salvation is presented as a feast. We are guests at God’s banquet. A modern reader struggles to make sense of the story written with patterns different to our modern history texts or popular novels. One of those patterns used in the Bible is based upon Israel’s festival calendar. Consider the pattern or process you might follow when hosting a dinner party:
You send invitations; You cover the table with a cloth; You lay out place settings & cutlery; The guests are seated; The food and wine is served; The feast is consumed; You recline together with your guests, full & satisfied and enjoy a digestif.
Look at this list arranged to emphasise the parallel structure:
A. You send your invitations
B. You cover the table with a cloth
C. You lay out place settings & cutlery
D. The guests are seated
C1. The food and wine is served
B1. The feast is consumed
A1. You recline, full & satisfied with an digestif
The invitation (A) anticipates the satisfied diners at the end of the party (A1). The table cloth (B) dedicates the table for the dinner (B1). The placement of the cutlery (C) is matched with it’s use to eat the food (C1). At the center of this event, the guests (D) are seated. Will they partake of the meal? Will they enjoy the party?
The Bible story is very similar. God has given us an invitation, he has prepared life for us, he has called us to himself, he has given us his Word. Will we receive it? Will we make it a part of ourselves? When we do, we have “a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Mike Bull
28/12/2011 at 2:39 pm
Excellent!
Then we find out — after dining — that not only is Jesus Himself the feast, He invites us to join Him in being the feast.
That part doesn’t always go down well. ; )
Albert
28/12/2011 at 5:53 pm
Yes, as you eat the bread, the bread becomes you and must be broken and eaten – a living sacrifice
Urbanpolyester
27/12/2011 at 7:01 am
Jesus would be an amazing dinner party guest, not only for his conversation, but if you ran out of wine too!