Each time Jesus entered a house
he brought blessing, hope, salvation
to rich and poor
old and young
imagine being in his company
hearing his voice, his laugh
finding out what food he liked or didn’t
then imagine being Zacchaeus
someone despised by everyone
for conspiring with the Romans
for his wealth seen as built on cheating
for being a sinner, the worst of sinners, a tax collector
As he climbed that tree Zacchaeus would never have imagined how life would change
as he would gladly welcome Jesus into his home
would hear Jesus’ voice, his laugh
would hear Jesus call him a son of Abraham and that salvation had come to his house
that same Jesus says to us:
“I must stay at your house today”
we have set the table for him
a table not limited to this church
not limited in time and space
for this is the table of the Lord
the table of our salvation
where the Son of Man comes to us
seeking and saving the lost
prayer
Righteous and Holy is the Lord
whose laws are right
whose statues are righteous
he calls to us
follow me
follow my ways, my truth, my path
come, sit at my table
where there is fruit of the vine
where there is bread
made and placed here by human hands
but which will become so much more to us through Christ’s presence as we share together this meal
handed down from generation to generation
until he comes again
Christ Jesus
we bless and thank you we can sit at your table, unworthy though we may be
though our sins are like scarlet
may they become white as snow
may your Holy Spirit descend on us
to cleanse, renew, enliven
and may she also descend on this bread and this wine
that it would become for us, through faith, the means of our salvation, through you being in our house this day, Christ Jesus
we praise and thank you for the communion of saints who have shaped this place and us
whose voices we blend our own with saying:
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord God Almighty
Heaven and earth are full of your glory
Hosanna in the highest
blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord
Lord Jesus
to you be all blessings, honour and praise
may this bread and wine feed us with your love
that we may seek justice for all your people
so they may know your Salvation
Amen
How did Jesus being at the table affect people?
Some watched him carefully to see what he would say and do.
Some would sit with him, hanging on every word
Some would anoint him with expensive perfume
What about Zacchaeus? He heard Jesus tell the crowd he was a son of Abraham too.
That he was lost, but now found.
That salvation had come to his house. His whole house, not just Zacchaeus.
What an effect having Jesus at his table for Zacchaeus must have been.
And here, in this bread, in this wine Jesus is present with us
here, in the Spirit of God with us, Jesus is with us
at this table, in this place
a table which reminds us that, on the night Jesus was betrayed and after he had given thanks,
he took the bread, broke it and said “this is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Later in the meal, he took the cup and said:
“this cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this in remembrance of me.”
for in eating this bread and drinking from this cup, we share in a meal blessed by Jesus presence at it.
We share a meal where we remember Jesus until he comes in all his glory again
for these are God’s gifts for all God’s people
surely, today, salvation has come to this house
Sharing
Blessing
In every encounter with Jesus, people were changed
we, too, are changed.
To remember Jesus
in all we say and do and are
to share love and peace with one another and the world
Amen