Table Manners
Rev. Dan Mahan
Luke 14:11
“For everyone that exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbled himself will be exalted.”
A man returns from a foreign vacation. He is feeling ill and visits a doctor. Immediately, he is rushed to the
hospital to undergo tests. When he wakes up after the tests, he finds himself in a private room at the hospital. He shuffles to the door, but finds it locked from the outside! Just then the phone by his bed rings. "This is your doctor. Your test results are back. You have an extremely nasty virus. We are completely helpless on how to treat it, destroy it or even slow down!" "Oh my goodness,” the man replies. What are you going to do, doctor?" “We are going to put you on a diet of pizzas, pancakes, tortillas & pita bread, ." the doctor replied. "Will that cure me?" the man asked. The doctor answered, "Well no, but... it’s the only food we can get under the door!"
(Sermon Central contributor Byron Sherman)
Have you ever dined at a fancy restaurant? Probably the nicest restaurant that Darlene and I have gone to dine is Stephenson’s in Independence. When I was seated at the table, I realized why that place was so costly. They charge so much in order to make up for the expense of washing all of that silverware! Why in the world do you need 3 spoons and 3 forks to eat one meal, anyway? I just chose the biggest one and began shoveling it in!
Do you feel uncomfortable in places like Stephenson’s? President Calvin Coolidge invited some friends from Vermont to dine at the White House. They were nervous. They were worried about their table manners. They decided to do everything their host did. All went well until coffee was served. Coolidge poured his into the saucer. His guests did the same. The President added sugar and cream. So did the visitors. Then Coolidge leaned over and placed his saucer on the floor for the cat.
Some places make us more uncomfortable than others. Bob Evans is our type of restaurant. Good ole homestyle cooking. Darlene and I are so busy, that we do not have time for much home-cooking. I must admit, we have a McDonalds near our home and we eat there quite often. The workers know us by name. They even know my voice over the speaker in the drive-thru! When you go to places like Stevensons, you dress up in your finest clothes. You use your best table manners. Now, my mom is big on table manners. Table manners is not an easy lesson to teach two growing hungry boys! Chew with your mouth close. Elbows off the table. Say “Please and thank you”. Don’t reach across the table. Ask for the food to be passed. Mom never would be able to handle eating at those restaurants that throw the dinner rolls. She would probably stand up and shout “Pass the dinner rolls. Don’t you have any manners?” It is good manners to let guests fill their plates first. Put others before self by showing a humble, servant attitude. In the old times, servants fed the dinner guests in the dining room. After the guests were all served and finished with dinner, the servants would go into the kitchen and eat themselves. Servants always put others first.
Jesus knew a lot about table manners and a humble servant attitude. Have you ever noticed that many of Jesus’ encounters with people revolved around food? That is proof that Jesus must have been a Baptist. We Baptists like our food! We like to eat, especially Baptist preachers! And folks, we have a great Baptist week ahead of us with business meeting and dinner this Wednesday and Game Night on Friday! Food, food and more food! A chance to get to know each other. An opportunity to form bonds. Building relationships and forming bonds
are what Jesus often did during the sharing of meals with others. He shared dinner alone with Zacchaeus. He shared dinners with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, who were like family to him. Jesus fed the 5,000+ on a hill. His first miracle was at a wedding party dinner. He broke bread with the two disciples he found on the Road to Emmaus. My favorite is the meal He shared with some hungry fishermen. Peter and the disciples were fishing. Jesus was on shore, cooking up breakfast. I like a good breakfast. Have you ever ate breakfast food for supper?
Darlene and I ate breakfast at the Golden Corral in Joplin a few months ago when we went to visit the grandchildren. Wow! A buffet of omelets, pancakes, bacon, sausage, steak, fruit, muffins, biscuits and gravy, pies, cakes—anything imaginable was on that buffet! It must have been some breakfast that Jesus cooked for his disciples that day! The creator of the world cooking up a mess from his own creation! Jesus was perfect and he was doing the cooking! Talk about the perfect meal!
From a few to the multitudes, Jesus shared a meal. In the text today, Jesus is invited to a dinner. The esteemed, leaders of the community, “religious leaders” were all there. You all know the type of people I’m talking about. They were patting each other on the back and bragging about their accomplishments. I would have felt out of place dining with those type of people, wouldn’t you? But Jesus was not uncomfortable with sharing meal or sharing fellowship with anyone. In fact, he was often criticized for the people whom he ate with. Jesus knew everybody needed the Bread of Life. Jesus said “Hey guys, if you want to be exalted, then live like a servant.”
Many of Jesus’ parables involved food. Many of His teachings and the meals He shared reflected good manners. Make sure the wedding guests do not go thirsty. Serve the fatted calf for special occasions. Don’t pick the best seat at the table for yourself. Don’t invite all your friends to dinner, but invite the poor, crippled, lame, and the blind. Get up and feed those midnight visitors. Don’t send your guest home hungry; they might faint on the way. Give them their full of food, even if it’s a multitude. I want you to note in Matt 15: 36, when Jesus is feeding the multitude, it reads: ”Then He divided the food and gave it to his followers and they gave it to the people.” They passed the food! My mom would like that verse! “Now that’s the way to pass food!” she would say. “Watch Jesus, boys. He has good manners!”
Many of Jesus’ lessons revolve around putting aside pride and humbling oneself. Most teach a servant attitude. In all incidents where Jesus was sharing a meal, He showed such an attitude.
The ultimate lesson and example was in the Upper Room when He was sharing a meal with His closest friends. It was the Passover dinner. It was the custom of those times, because of the dusty dirt roads, that a servant wash the feet of guests. Jesus humbled himself as a servant. He washed the feet of the disciples. In John 13:14, Jesus said: “If I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also should wash each other’s feet. I did this as an example.” Then Jesus took the bread and the cup and set another example. “Do this, remember me.” He said, as He told them how He would humble Himself on a cross to die for the sins of others, including mine and yours.. “This is my body am giving for you.” “This is my blood which is poured out for you.”
There is a story told of a king who loved his people very much. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to know their hardships. Often he would dress as a working man or a beggar and go to the homes of the poor.
No one he visited thought that he was their ruler. One day, he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. The King ate the coarse food the poor man ate. He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left. Later, the king visited the old man again. This time, the King disclosed his identity by saying, "I am your king!" The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he didn’t. "You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the course food I ate. You have brought gladness to my heart!
To others, you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!" (SermonCentral contributor Jason Cole)
Jesus humbled himself. He gave Himself for you. 1 Corin 11:27 Paul reminds us of the manner
in which we should partake of the Lord’s Supper. “So a person who eats the bread or drinks the cup
of the Lord in a way that is not worthy of it will be guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord.” Mom would tell you before you sit down to a meal, you need to wash up. You need to clean your hands. Before partaking of the Lord’s Supper, you need to wash up first. Cleanse your heart. Remove your prideful attitude. Humble yourself before Him. As you approach the Table of the Lord today put self and pride aside Think of Christ and what He did for you on Calvary. Ask Him to make you a humble servant.
Martin Luther had visitors for dinner one day. His puppy happened to be at the table, looking for a morsel from his master. The puppy watched with open mouth and motionless eyes. Martin Luther said, "Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish or hope. (Luther’s Works, Volume 54, Table Talk (Philadelphia: 1967 pp. 37, 38. May 18, 1532) ( http://www.albatrus.org/english/potpourri/quotes/martin_luther_quotes.htm)
Without Christ, we would have no hope. Let’s turn all of our thoughts right now on this meal the Lord has given us. It is a time to share, time of prayer and thanksgiving. It is a time of reflection on Christ’s great love for us and the great sacrifice behind this special meal. It is a time of intimacy and a time of drawing near to Christ
As we approach the Table, let us partake in a manner pleasing to Christ Let us partake in a worshipful, respectful, and repentant manner.
Let’s watch our table manners.
