Mar 24 2025 6 mins
READ: ISAIAH 55:1; LUKE 5:29-32; COLOSSIANS 3:12-15
"Why is there an empty seat?” Banji asked after swallowing a warm bite of soup. “Is someone else joining us?”
Banji, Laz, and Sera enjoyed the food laid out in front of them on the mysterious table in the middle of the darkness. The man’s light still encircled them, and it even softened the sounds of the battle beyond. But Banji was right; there was an empty seat at the other end of the table, directly across from the man who had called them here.
“As a matter of fact,” he said, “I have invited someone else. My table is not yet complete.” The three looked at each other, curious and concerned as to who could be coming. They hadn’t encountered anyone else in the dark abyss. “Ahh, here he is now!”
At the man’s greeting, the three hurriedly turned around to see who was approaching and gasped. The crimson and gold cloak signified that the boy who approached was an enemy soldier. He looked right at the blue insignia on Laz’s chest and paled.
“Why is he here?” Sera demanded. “He’s a part of the army that’s attacking us!”
Their host looked at her but moved forward to guide the late arrival to his seat next to Sera and Laz. “Manul, I’m so glad you came,” he said. To the rest of them he continued, “All are welcome at my table. My rest and blessings are available to anyone who seeks me.”
“But you don’t know what he’s done!” Laz exclaimed as Banji scooted his chair away from his enemy. Manul’s face hardened at the rebuke, but he remained seated.
“I know what you all have done,” the man countered. “And still, I have invited you.” Laz turned his head down, ashamed of his past. “But,” the man continued, “here there is no guilt or fear. Only love and mercy. Each of you heard me calling your name, urging you to be still in my presence and bringing you away from your wrongdoing and into my forgiveness.”
An awkward silence fell across the table. None of them knew how to respond. Sera resolved to poking around her bowl, suddenly not wanting to eat a thing. Banji and Laz didn’t look anywhere but at their own food, only daring an occasional glance at each other.
“You could just talk to each other,” the host suggested. “You are no longer enemies now that you are united before me. And the better you know each other, the better you can love one another.”
Sera met Manul’s gaze, but quickly looked away. “I’m Sera. And this is Laz and Banji,” she said, nodding to her companions. Manul grinned, and all three smiled back. • Zoe Brickner
• In today’s allegorical story, we see a picture of the unity made possible through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. God’s constant message throughout all of Scripture is that everyone who puts their trust in Jesus is able to have a personal relationship with Him. Prophecies in the Old Testament looked ahead to the day when Jews and Gentiles would worship together. And often, when the Old Testament talks about tables, it’s looking forward to the Lord’s Table. On the night before Jesus went to the cross, He took bread and wine and gave them to His disciples, telling them to continue to do this together in remembrance of Him. We are all invited to Jesus’s Table, no matter what we’ve done, because we’re all sinners. So when we take the bread and the cup together, it’s not only a reminder that Jesus has saved us from our own sins by dying on the cross in our place, but also that He unifies us with all believers. What can the Lord’s Table reveal about God’s mercy and grace? How does it encourage us to view each other?
• The unity Jesus calls us to is impossible without His Holy Spirit. Thankfully, God has given the Spirit to everyone who has put their trust in Jesus. Consider taking a moment to pray, asking the Spirit to help you notice ways you can partake in God’s unified kingdom. This might look like praying for others, spending time with people who have different opinions and points of view, listening to others’ unique stories, or confessing and repenting from judging or hating others.
• If you want to dig deeper, you can read more about the Lord’s Table in Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 and you can read more about God’s unified kingdom in Romans 12:4-5; Ephesians 4:1-6; Colossians 3:11-15; 1 John 4:7-11, 19-21; Revelation 7:9-10.
Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God. Romans 15:7 (CSB)