A Meditation on Luke 14:16-24 and on My Experience with Joni & Friends
M E D I T A T E: “To dwell on any thing in thought; to contemplate; to study; to turn or revolve any subject in the mind” (Webster, 1828).
What comes to mind when you hear the word table? Perhaps visions of leisurely evenings spent with family flash upon your inward eye, or perhaps memories of good meals eaten at your family table make your mouth water! This past summer, I learned about a very important table, one to which we are all invited. Upon this table, a warm and inviting Host has prepared every food we need for maintaining our strength; and He calls us to gather round and partake of the feast He has provided. At this table, we are given the opportunity to enter into fellowship with the Host Himself, as well as with the other guests. Here, we are valued and seen as people, made in the image of our Creator. This table is salvation; this food is Christ and His Word. Through my internship with Joni & Friends, I came to understand this concept better than I ever had before.
Joni & Friends is a wonderful organization that provides spiritual resources and retreats for individuals and families affected by disability. During one of the first weeks with this ministry, I and my fellow interns were taken on a road trip to Southern California to visit the International Disability Center, founded by the one and only Joni Eareckson Tada. While on a tour of the facility, my group was shown a large mural painted by Hyatt Moore representing the feast detailed in Luke 14:16-24. There is much more to the mural than what is shown below, but this is the best photograph I took of it!
In this painting, as one can see, individuals of various backgrounds and abilities are shown, gathered around the table in the presence of Jesus. Each person has been invited to draw near to the Savior. For me, seeing this painting was one of the most pivotal moments in the internship. The visual representation of the parable in Luke 14 branded on my mind the beautiful truth that no matter the degree of ability that a person may have, God sees each of His children as precious. And we, as members of the Church, are called to see each other in the same way. We come to the table, beggars all.
In this painting, as one can see, individuals of various backgrounds and abilities are shown, gathered around the table in the presence of Jesus. Each person has been invited to draw near to the Savior. For me, seeing this painting was one of the most pivotal moments in the internship. The visual representation of the parable in Luke 14 branded on my mind the beautiful truth that no matter the degree of ability that a person may have, God sees each of His children as precious. And we, as members of the Church, are called to see each other in the same way. We come to the table, beggars all.
