Look Who Came to Dinner!

 

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!  Philippians 2:5-8

 Have you ever stood in line at a soup kitchen and eaten dinner there? If so, was it because you didn’t have the money for a meal, or because you wanted to identify and engage with others who were there? Have you ever even considered it? Pro tip, you’re not taking food away from someone who needs it more. Every time I’ve served in the kitchen there has been more than enough for the people in line, usually allowing them to offer seconds to those who want it. Sometimes they’ve even sent food home with my husband when he serves because there is so much left over. But, I’ve never known a single person, outside of the ones I’ve met serving at the Mission, that has gone there just to have lunch or dinner with their homeless neighbors. Why is that? It’s not because of the quality of the food, I’ll tell you that. The cooks at the Mission do a great job! Is it because it’s hard to eat a meal sitting next to someone who hasn’t showered in weeks and may have wet themselves multiple times? That could certainly have something to do with it. But what a testimony that would be! If you didn’t have to eat there, but you chose to. If you could go to a restaurant and order anything you wanted, but you decided to come sit next to someone who couldn’t instead.

 That’s what Jesus did for us. He could have stayed in Heaven. Choosing to come to earth, He could have been born into a wealthy family and lived a life of luxury. He could have chosen to come as an earthly ruler and been served and waited upon His whole life. But no. He chose, instead, to come as a humble servant. For nearly 20 years he worked a “blue collar” job, as my son calls it, as a carpenter. He experienced filth and pain and all the normal everyday things people feel and see and do. He chose to be one of us, to be with us. He chose to sit down next to us at thedinner table, no matter how smelly or sin-stained we were.

Here's the Thing: Jesus set an example for us, not just for us to be amazed at, but for us to follow. Where do you need to stand in line, or who do you need to invite over for dinner?