But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. (Luke 22:21)
I looked over at this girl who I had invited to the Bible study. She was known as a lot of things—a kleptomaniac, a bully, a liar, a gossip, a flirt, and my friend. Sometimes it was hard to make this last one fit with the rest of the things on the list. She stole from me, bullied friends of mine, lied to me, and gossiped about me. Surely those reasons were enough to disqualify her from deserving a spot at the table.
When this verse from Luke was written, Judas was in the process of selling his Lord and friend for some silver coins, getting ready to betray him with a kiss. Surely this was reason enough to disqualify him from deserving a spot at the table. But Jesus did not seem to think so. He knew Judas’ thoughts and actions, yet he still gave him a place at the table. Judas was invited. My friend the kleptomaniac is invited. I am invited.
God sees to the heart of everything that should disqualify us from being included in his kingdom and invites us anyway. At Jesus’ table, the mess-ups and failures are invited. When we accept this invitation, we find the freedom and grace to choose to invite the cheaters and liars and bullies in our lives.
Welcome everyone to your table.
Grace Aukerman is a third-year Kingswood University student from Albania who loves coffee and her dog.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
