A spot at the table

The restaurant that was chosen to host our post meeting gathering was jostling with a diverse and rowdy crowd. Open tables existed in scarcity and chairs were going to be scrunched and who knows if I would even get a spot with the group. “Come join us, we got you a seat.” The invitation from the host not only relieved my brooding fear of sitting awkwardly adjacent to the group but also delighted my heart. I was remembered and I was invited to sit within what I would call the sacred inner circle. He specifically saved me a seat and invited me in to learn and share life together. I was excited to interact and learn.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus gives an invitation to, “Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly (Message).” Just imagine being around Jesus at that moment and he extends that invitation to “Keep company” and maintain an ongoing presence with Jesus. This is our invitation to share in the life he has to offer. The verse before Jesus recognizes the weight and weary caused by the intrusive religious mandates that the leaders were heaping on the people. All in the name of living in right relationship with God, per Israel’s command and purpose. Yet, in misguidance and an attempt to control, what should have been an opportunity to engage with God in a beautiful relationship, the leaders used their rules to gate keep the Kingdom of God.

Our overarching story, from Genesis to Revelation, reminds us that God created us to be in right relationship and gives us an opportunity to rest in his goodness. It was the prideful heart of humans that tried to cut God out of the plan. So, not only do we need to restore that relationship, but we need to know how to dwell and live in that relationship. Jesus came to demonstrate for us how to maintain and grow in that relationship. To be truly human, living in the fullness of New Creation, is to be just like Jesus. Up until that moment, the Israelites struggled to live and maintain in that rest or fullness of relationship with God. Everything they did continued to go awry. No wonder people were overwhelmed, tired and burned out on religion, they were not experiencing the fullness of true relationship with God.

Enter Jesus. God in our midst to redeem, lead us in the right way, and invite us to learn and grow in relationship. This is why at this moment in his ministry Jesus offers the true way to live in the rest or in right relationship with God. This invitation to “Keep company with me” is an opportunity to enter into and cultivate a relationship with him. It goes beyond that relationship but is an opportunity to take on his teaching and learn the way of God. Jesus looks at us and extends a welcome to sit and maintain close proximity to him. Not only that, but he says, “Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it.” This is the beauty of discipleship. We have the opportunity to join Jesus in his work and learn from the expert.

Our end goal is to be in unison with Jesus. This happens when we intentionally keep company and walk with him and learn his lifestyle and rhythms of grace. This passage challenges us as followers to examine our own proximity to Jesus. How would you describe your proximity to Jesus? Just imagine yourself walking into a restaurant and Jesus beckons you over, “Come keep company with me.” Do you scramble quickly and sit at his table to learn from him, or do you smile and wave back and say that you are comfortable? To learn from him and be his disciple is to move from your comfortable spot and move to his table.

We have created quite a scenario for ourselves in the church. People have spent generations working at sanctifying and embossing the words of Jesus when all we needed to do was take them serious and let them sanctify ourselves. Jesus recognized, at that moment in his ministry, that the same thing was happening in his day, and offered a life boat away from the madness and suffocating religious way.

“Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won’t lay anything heavy or illfitting on you.
Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

I spent a long time at that table listening and learning from the speaker. Being at the table was not only an honor but I had a lot of fun sharing that moment. Just imagine if we took his invitation seriously and “Got away with him to learn and keep company.” This Lent we are encouraged to come back to scripture. Read not as a discipline or another religious act to check off but read as a response to Jesus’ invitation to “Come keep company with me. Sit here, I saved you a seat.”