Feasting Alone
Originally scheduled for
October 18
Every
Christian businessman eventually encounters the difficulties of business
travel. It’s not just the delay at the airport, or the 800 lb. gorilla in the
seat next to you. The Christian businessman faces a frequent dilemma
concerning his evening meal.
He
can, if he desires, take the “party” option. This might take the form of
dining with a vendor determined to wine and dine his way into a sale. It might
also be with his fellow travelers who view a road trip as a convenient time to
do that which they couldn’t do at home. He will often be ostracized because he
doesn’t take one of the girls to his room. Indeed, they will wonder why he
isn’t at the bar every night just for that reason.
Otherwise,
he can feast – alone. This takes the form of an overstuffed restaurant meal
delivered to the room, or the chance that he can find a coffee shop nearby.
It’s best to bring a newspaper or a book.
You
can thus imagine what a pleasure it is to be on the road but able to dine with
friends or family. It is a rare thing, but much more pleasant.
We
enjoy a restaurant meal; the ancients would have known this as enjoying a
feast. A feast is an occasion out of the ordinary:
We
feast, we enjoy the plenteousness of the food. One does not feast while on a
starvation diet. Have you ever noticed that restaurant portions are rather
large?
We
feast, we enjoy the variety of the food. That’s why restaurants have menus.
We
feast, we enjoy the company. It’s not just a meal, it’s an occasion.
Communion
is rather like that. At Communion we enjoy the plenitude of God’s grace,
forgiving over and again. At Communion we enjoy the variety of God’s grace –
even the “vilest offender” is pardoned. More than that, at Communion we enjoy
sweet fellowship with Christ. Communion was instituted at Passover – a feast.
It is a spiritual feast; enjoy it with a glad heart. God’s grace is here in
abundance.
