Sharing Christ Around the Table
Devotional week 37
“After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.”
Luke 5:27–29 (NIV)
"Did you bring food today?" That's how we ask each other about lunch where I work. I work in the city center of a big city, and few of my colleagues go home for lunch. So, I get to enjoy good times around the lunch table with them nearly every day.
A shared meal may seem like an ordinary part of our day, but it can also create opportunities to build relationships and share our faith.
When Jesus called Levi, a tax collector, to follow Him, Levi responded immediately. Soon after, he held a banquet at his home and invited Jesus, His disciples, and many of his friends and colleagues. Levi had found something worth sharing. He brought the people he knew together with the One who had changed his life.
Jesus accepted the invitation and sat at the table with them. When the religious leaders questioned why He was eating with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus explained that He had come to call sinners to repentance. Levi’s story reminds us that following Jesus does not mean withdrawing from the people around us. Our relationships at work, in business and in our communities are opportunities to introduce others to Christ.
We do not always need a special event or a formal program. Sometimes, a lunch invitation, a conversation or an act of hospitality can open the door to a deeper discussion about faith.
My coworkers are already sitting across from me, asking if I brought food today. I already have a table. The question is what I do with it.
Challenge
Do you make room in your everyday life for others to encounter Christ? How might you use your relationships at work or in your community to share the hope you have in Him?
Prayer
Lord, help me to see the people around me as opportunities to share Your love. Give me the wisdom to build genuine relationships and the courage to introduce others to You. Amen.
A Tent International Devotional