The pencil scratches the paper as the list is made: eggs, cinnamon, canned pumpkin, sugar, turkey, stuffing, celery. Each day the list is enlarged as plans are made for a table that will be groaning with the abundance of bounty. The silver is polished until when looking down at the large platter, you can see yourself as a bad image from carnival mirrors. Linens are ironed till edges are crisp, ready to snap to attention for those who have come to dine.
Invitations are interesting things that evoke polar opposite reactions: either gladness that a loved one will come or disgust with a desire that it could be tossed in the round file with a heave-ho, such as a "request" to appear for an IRS audit or jury duty that comes right on the very day you expect your guests to arrive.
There's one invitation that is the most coveted of all. Right in the midst of life at its busiest or worst, when things are flying at us with accelerated speed, truth is rare, lies are the seeming normalcy standard and we think we can't take one more arrogant bully stuffing their anti-God, anti-everything views -- there it is. An invitation.
But not just any invitation. One before you where you didn't expect it. Right in the middle of your life. In the center street where all the shouting voices and demanding schedules and vying for your attention intersects. The traffic light is now solid red. Everything and everyone has ceased. Your eyes rest on something in the middle of that intersection. A table. A table set with service for two. A marble table inlaid with solid gold. Crystal glistening in colors you've never seen. Ornate silver with filigree etched with your initials. A glistening white place card in elegant script with your name in exquisite pattern and beauty. Someone has taken a great deal of effort and outrageous expense to invite you to dine. But just who and, better yet, why?
He's a king. But not just any king. The King of all Kings. Jesus Himself. Another king long ago penned a beautiful song about this experience. He explained that the Lord invited him to dinner. And obviously he accepted because in his Jewish experience he explained it this way: He made the dinner. He poured the wine and then anointed me simply because He loved me. Because of that, I will follow Him anywhere. I live where He lives. I'll go where He wants to go and do what He wants to do. I cannot do anything else. I am smitten by His love. That's what Psalm 23 is all about. The essence of a God that pursues us, a heavenly seduction of grace.
There is a Jewish tradition called Havdalah where a cup of wine runs over onto a saucer underneath. It symbolizes sufficient enough to fill one's own needs and that of others. A prayer is given that the expression of hope that life's goodness and bounty will be as abundant as the wine that is being blessed. In Temple times when the burnt offerings and peace offerings were made an entire container of wine was poured onto the altar. It was an offering of thanksgiving, a praise to the Lord of Lords who always provides for our needs and, through us, others. Kiddush in Hebrew means designation, demarcating a person, place thing or time for a higher purpose. Also, when a guest is in a home and the host pours wine for the guest if the host wants to show high favor, acceptance and blessing, he will overflow the cup.
The new Thanksgiving season is here. A time to enjoy family and friends, to be thankful for the bounty the Lord has given. The harvest time is here. Many are turning to the Lord in numbers unheard of before. This is the time when the Lord will appear to all and bring us into His kingdom. He has done a lot of labor in the harvesting. But really -- the cream of His crop .... is you.
Be blessed this season. Embrace His acceptance and love as not just a nice warm fuzzy feeling, but a revelation of the gift of eternal life for you. He paid an enormous price for you because you are worth that much. You are a treasure of His heart. You are worth every stripe, every piece of silver, every abuse and torture He endured.
Look. His invitation is there. Right there at your fingertips. You may have said no before or you may have embraced His offer. Whichever it is, the time is extremely short. The call has gone out. It is a royal invitation. It cannot be ignored or treated with indifferent procrastination any longer. It's your choice.
It's time for dinner.
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