Come for Dinner

My husband likes to relate the story of a jury selection process he was involved in.  We live in a small community, so the odds of knowing the defendant are rather high. In an attempt to see how well the prospective jurors were acquainted with the person on trial, the judge asked them several questions, including this one: “Have you ever been to the defendant’s home for a meal?” There are all levels of friendship, from those that rate a casual hello in WalMart to close confidants. The wise judge knew that those who had shared a meal, especially in the intimate surroundings of a home, must have shared much more than small talk. He set this as the standard for determining how well people really knew each other.  Put this line of thinking into your friendship with Jesus.  Is it the first kind, nothing meaningful simply a passing acknowledgement, or have you really gotten to know each other over a pleasant repast?  In Luke 19:1-9 we get to peek into such a story.   Zacchaeus, the hated tax collector, was anxious to see Jesus as he came into Jericho. Being a height-challenged individual, he had to climb a tree to catch a glimpse.  It turned out to be a very smart move because Jesus looked up, saw him and said, “Zacchaeus come down immediately, I must stay at your house today.”  He was saying, “Zach I want to spend some time with you, so go home and fix me some lunch and we’ll talk.”  You know he jumped down, and gladly welcomed him in.  We don’t know exactly what they spoke about, but Zach left that table a changed man, indeed.   Jesus longs to know you, to laugh, talk and linger over supper, coffee and dessert.  What better way to draw closer to him? So pop in a casserole, he’s knocking at your door.