Honored Guest

I can see at the Sunset workshop that it is an honor to be in the presence of my father in law. Truitt is held in high regard by so many. It is an honor to be able to visit with presenters like Rick Atchley, Jeff Walling, etc … at workshops like Tulsa. It is even an honor to say that my in laws had connections with Max Lucado because of their mission work in Brazil. However, for my kids to have dinner with Truitt, is just a meal with PaPa. To the people at the congregations of these speakers, they are just regular people. I am sure that even Max Lucado is just a normal guy to the ones in his inner circle.
James often wonders what I get out of his sermons while I am disciplining the children. I am not sure what the entire sermon was about on Sunday, but my thoughts revolved around part of his main passage in Luke 24.

“Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him….When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?””

Here are two guys, oblivious to who was with them, talking about what was most important on their hearts. They reached out in hospitality to a stranger and then realized whose presence they were in. It went from a stranger being honored by their hospitality, to the men being honored by His appearance, in the second they recognized Him. Did they high five each other after He disappeared? Did they fall to their knees? Did they put on their blogs that they had recognized Jesus? No, they got up immediately and went to others that would want to know about his appearance. Did they talk about Him calling them foolish and the other things He said on the way?

What was I thinking during James’ sermon? I could not think of a more honorable meal companion than Jesus Himself, right after His resurrection. How unbelievable! What timing! We are honored to just be around great people who talk about Him, how would it have been to be with the King Himself at that moment? It was no wonder they were excited to return to the others. They were just first hand witnesses to the most incredible miracle ever! I love having guest at my table but that would be the ultimate!

If you look on in the scripture, He appears to the people while the two were telling about Him. Unbelief, then joy and amazement swept over them. Then He asked for food! “Do you have anything here to eat?” They got to host His eating too! “They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.” He did not need that food as energy for the trip He was about to take. He needed it to prove that He was alive. He ate so that they would know He was God in the flesh. He let them see Him return to the Heavens so they would know He was King of Kings forever. They went in joy afterwards praising God. He may have been their friend, their family, their teacher, but He was the supreme guest that one can’t help but honor.

Kathy
By the way, James’ sermon was on hope; disheartened to celebration.