Come to the Table

Mark 14:17-26

I suppose many people who saw the story in the Boston Globe

didn’t realize they were actually reading a 20^th-century version of one of Jesus’ parables—it’s ok, though, because the point is still the same

A woman and her fiancé go to the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Boston to

arrange their wedding reception

-study menu, choose china/silver patterns, select floral centerpieces

-the total comes to $13,000 (and this is 16 years ago)

--write check for half that amount and leave it as downpayment

-all’s well until the day the invitations are to be mailed...that’s when

the groom announces that he has second thoughts

--"This is a big commitment. Let's think about it some more."

-when woman returns to the Hyatt to cancel, the events manager

couldn't be more understanding

--she says, "Same thing happened to me, honey."

--but when it comes to the refund, her understanding reaches its

limit, and she has to share the bad news: "The contract is

binding. You can only get 10% back. You basically have two

options: you can forfeit the rest of the down payment, or go

ahead with the dinner."

It sounds crazy, but the more the woman thinks about it, the more she likes the idea of going ahead with the banquet

-just 10 years earlier, she had been living in a homeless shelter

--she’d found good job and put away a sizeable amount of money

--now she had wild idea of using her savings to treat the down-and-

outs of Boston to a night on the town

-so in June of 1990, downtown Boston Hyatt hosted a party like it

had never seen before

--the former bride-to-be changed the menu to boneless chicken—in

memory of the former groom-to-be

--she sent invitations to rescue missions and homeless shelters

-and on a warm summer night, people who were used to scrounging

in dumpsters for half-eaten Big Macs found themselves dining

instead on chicken cordon bleu

--Hyatt waiters in tuxedos served fancy hors d'oeuvres to bag

ladies, street people, and addicts

--they were all given a night off from the hard life on the streets to

sip champagne, eat wedding cake, and dance the night away

And it was all free

-they didn't do anything to earn it

-they didn't—they couldn’t—pay for it

-all they did was respond to an invitation

--an invitation given by someone who understands meaning of grace

Read Mark 14:17-26

Each time we receive the Lord's Supper we see grace that's far more

miraculous than street people eating at the Hyatt

Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

You see, the Bible makes it plain we are liars, cheaters, adulterers,

gossipers—we’re not even worthy to serve the food...yet we sinners all find ourselves sitting at the table of the Son of God

-how? because, and only because, He has invited us...that's how...

and His invitation makes us worthy...and that is grace

Romans 5 à You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. But God demonstrates His

own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus didn't say, "Hey, look, y'all come back when you get your lives straightened out. When you deserve it, then I might think about dying for you."

-no...the Bible says Jesus died à while we were still sinners

I want to take a big leap backwards in time and in the Bible so we can see what this looks like

-in a time of political chaos, the first king of Israel, Saul, is killed

along with his son, Jonathan

--all of that leaves David a pretty clear shot to the throne

---the custom of the day is for a new king to have old king's

entire family murdered

----let’s say it helps ensure a “smooth transition”

So when word of Saul and Jonathan’s deaths makes it back to the family, it only makes sense for them to run for their lives

-they are especially worried about Mephibosheth because he is

Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson...therefore he’s next in line for

the throne...and naturally would be #1 on Israel’s Most Wanted

Read 2 Samuel 4:4

This guy is the perfect embodiment of Romans 5:6

-his is powerless—can’t defend himself, can't fight in battle

-he is on the run...living in exile outside his own country

-essentially he’s living with a death sentence hanging over his head

that will be carried out the instant David finds him

But there’s something Mephibosheth doesn't realize

-many years before, his father was best friends with David

--Jonathan had asked David always to show mercy to his family

--so David made a vow that day and he has never forgotten it

Read 2 Samuel 9:1-4

If I were David I think at this point I'd be saying, "OK, who else is there? I mean, I'm all for the IDA (the “Israelites with Disabilities Act”), but that doesn't mean they all have to come live with me. What can he do for me? He can't fight. He's probably not educated worth a lick. And he's been hiding out in a town that’s literally named “No Place”. ‘Hey, Mephibosheth, where do you live (heh, heh!)?’ ‘Uh, No Place.’ Dude, that sounds even worse than living in Platte City.”

But there's none of that from David

-did you notice that David is the first one to refer to Mephibosheth

without mentioning, “he’s the crippled one”

--yet we do something similar to that all the time...it seems

innocent enough, I guess, but listen carefully to things we say...

"I was talking to that divorced nurse over at the hospital..."

"I met a really nice black pastor at the conference..."

"Saw Sam today...he looks like he's still on drugs..."

We are wrong when we forever connect someone to their past

-she used to party every single night in college

-he was in prison

-she’s been divorced...many times

-you know, they used to live together

I’m convinced that sometimes we do it because we really can't believe God would, or even could, forgive them

-and perhaps we’re secretly afraid God might not forgive us...

--for whatever reason, it's really tough to shake our past

--it's tragic when Christians—who’ve already been forgiven by God

—then live as if they still have to carry around that burden of sin

Read Psalm 103:8-14

That psalm (written by David by the way) isn’t saying sin’s no big deal

-instead, it’s a wonderful proclamation of why God is God and why

you and I are not

David’s got a pretty good grasp on that one

-so he doesn’t issue the command, "Yo, bring me that crippled guy."

--one translation has David’s words in v. 4 as, "Where is this son?"

-and David sends out the invitation

--Mephibosheth is brought to the king's palace...and he’s probably

wondering all along if he’s being summoned for his own execution

Read 2 Samuel 9:6-8

"Why are you calling me, O King? I am worthless."

-Mephibosheth is right...in a sense he is unworthy...he’s certainly not

worthy to have an audience with the king, but the king changes all

of that (remember: only the king could change that)

Read 2 Samuel 9:9-13

And like Mephibosheth, we come to the King questioning why He is calling us...we feel so incredibly worthless to stand before Him, much less to sit at the King’s table

-in a sense, we are right...remember, Romans 5 refers to us as

powerless, ungodly, and sinners

--and while we may feel worthless, remember too, that Jesus—the

King Himself, died for us...in our place...

When we respond to His invitation to come to His table...we discover

God has declared us righteous...He has declared us acceptable in His sight—and that’s grace—God giving what we do not deserve and cannot ever earn

-Ephesians 1:3 à We praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus

Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the

heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.

And all of that is because Jesus issues this gracious invitation...

[when He]...took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take it; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is My blood of the [new] covenant, which is poured out for many.”