Day 13: Who will I {invite} to the table?

And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.”  So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain.  And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over.”  Ruth 2:14

{Invite}  to request the presence or participation of in a kindly, courteous, or complimentary way, especially to request to come or go to some place, gathering, entertainment, etc., or to do something: to invite friends to dinner.  (Dictionary.com)

Just this morning, pondering the word {invite} my eyes have landed on this somewhat obscure passage in Ruth 2, the 14th verse.  It’s the invitation.  An invitation to lunch.  Reading the definition from dictionary.com and thinking with my modern, western cultural mindset, the invitation invokes a smile and a southern, “Oh, how sweet!” response… Bless her heart!

However, as I pray and look again at God’s Word, this scene doesn’t appear normal.  It seems somewhat unusual – even scandalous – a bit.  The man who owns the field, the near kinsman, extended an invitation to a foreigner and a woman.

The scene here reminds me of many eyebrow-raising dinner invitations Jesus offered and accepted.  Jesus invited Himself to Zacchaeus’ house for dinner one day.  On other occasions Jesus ate in the homes of tax collectors, sinners, the unclean and he shared meals in the company of women.

{Invite}  – the near Kinsman invited Ruth to join the reapers at the table for a meal.  She was invited to eat until satisfied.  And she was welcome to take with her the leftovers for her mother in law, Naomi.

I’ve been invited to the table.  Many years ago, as a young professional and somewhat of a foreigner to the church, a man – a manager, a boss – invited me to the Friday morning table.  He bought me a Bible, and he extended an invitation to come to sit at the table with other Jesus followers.

I gladly received his invitation.  But on that first Friday walking in with my brand new Bible I felt awkward.  They were all comfortable at this table.  I wasn’t sure where to sit.  I had nothing to say, but I listened.  Someone helped me turn the pages to find the place where we would feast that day until satisfied, and amazingly I had some leftovers to take with me and share with someone else.

Again, I am reminded of Ruth’s great grandson’s words in Psalm 34 – an invitation.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.

And then, most assuredly the greatest invitation of all, the invitation of our Redeemer, our Bridegroom…  to the wedding banquet of the Lamb.

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”  Revelation 19:9 esv

Ponders:

One of my favorite activities is to invite others to share in an activity with me.  If I want to take a walk, I invite someone to come along.  I love to invite a friend(s) to meet me for lunch or coffee.  Rather than assume, I even like to invite my husband to dinner and a movie (at home).

I don’t see inviting others as a specific gift listed in the Bible, but we are called to be hospitable.  At a specific point in time, I asked the Lord to teach me what it means to be hospitable and to show me what that looks like for me.  May I encourage you today… our Father is so good and faithful to answer our prayers when we ask Him to teach us.

• Is the Lord inviting you to the table today?  Will you accept His invitation to dine with Him and to listen to Him and learn from Him?
• Will you in turn invite someone else to the table?  Will you help a stranger to Jesus meet Him?  Will you introduce someone to Jesus today?  I’m taking the challenge myself to invite someone to ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’.

Eyes on Jesus…you’re Shining!

Lisa

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Today I have accepted the invitation of Kate Motaung to participate with the Five Minute Friday community to write on the Friday word prompt {invite}.  Thank you, Kate, for offering 31 word prompts for our 31-day writing challenge.  What a blessing!

Link ups I enjoy!