Eat with Them

One of Jesus’ favorite things to do was to eat with people far from God (Luke 7:34). It was His secret to winning their hearts. The Gospels reveal Jesus as a highly relational leader who loved breaking bread with people. In the Gospel of Luke, you can find Jesus either at a meal, on His way to a meal, or on His way back from a meal. He was heavily criticized for it by the religious leaders of his time, but the criticism did not faze him because He had come to seek and save the lost. He understood the power of sharing meals with people who needed Him. One time, the Pharisees challenged Jesus, asking: “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:30-31)

The third habit in the B.L.E.S.S. lifestyle is to eat with them. Food has an innate ability to break down walls and open people’s hearts. When you share a meal with someone, you are unequivocally telling them that you value them. Like Tim Chester said, “Meals represent friendship, community and welcome.” Sharing a meal is one of the easiest ways to build a relationship with someone far from God. You can go from polite conversation to sharing deep heart issues over a plate of delicious food, but that only happens if you take the time to sit down and connect with people during a meal. This has nothing to do with how expensive, how fancy, or how incredible the food is. It has everything to do with your willingness to share your food and heart with someone else.

It can be as simple as coffee and pound cake or a bowl of spicy ramen. You can invite them to your home, but you can also meet them at a restaurant, a café, a park, or even in the school cafeteria. You eat several meals a week, right? What if you share one of those meals with someone who needs Jesus? Perhaps one of your 5. And if you cannot do it weekly, perhaps you can do it once or twice a month. The only question to answer now is: who are you having over for dinner?

GUIDED PRAYER

Lord, help me to redeem the time and be willing to share meals with people far from You. No matter how different or how difficult they are, give me opportunities to share a meal with each of the five people I am praying for daily. I pray that as we eat together, walls would come down and opportunities to share Your love would abound during our time together.

REFLECT

1. Think about a time when sharing a meal with others broke down walls between you and them. How can sharing a meal with someone far from God help their walls come down and deepen relationships?
2. What keeps you from sharing meals with others? What steps can you take to make meals with unbelievers possible in your day-to-day life?

GO BLESS

You’re already praying for your 5. How about planning to share a snack, a meal, or even dessert with each of them? Reach out to at least one of the five and schedule a time to eat together this week or next week. If you don’t put it in your calendar, it won’t happen.