Will You Eat With God?

After Jesus advised a Pharisee and his dinner guests about humility, one of the guests responded in Luke 14:15, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” The man’s proclamation was true, but the question of who would eat bread in the kingdom of God remained a mystery Jesus helped to reveal through a parable. The parable is found in Luke 14:16-24, and Jesus used it to promote critical thinking and a question every person must answer: Will I eat bread in the kingdom of God?

Eating together is a symbol of fellowship in the Scriptures. When God made a covenant with the Israelites at Mt. Sinai, He called several of them to eat with Him at a table He prepared on the mountain (Exodus 24:9-11). When the apostle Paul needed to communicate the loss of fellowship between Christian brethren and one who returned to a life of sin, he told Christians “not to even eat with such a one,” who was living in rebellion against God (1 Cor. 5:11). Eating is a strong symbol of fellowship, and so the blessedness of eating bread in the kingdom of God is about having fellowship with God.

But not everyone will have fellowship with God. Jesus proceeded to tell of a master who gave a banquet, but all the invited guests were too distracted by their earthly pursuits to accept His invitation. Those who were invited were then barred from entry, and instead, the hall was filled with every needy and disabled person who was willing to be herded into the dining hall. God will have fellowship with those who respond favorably to His call; with those who recognize the privilege and the honor of dining in the kingdom of God. Those will leave all their earthly pursuits to obey the gospel and receive citizenship in the kingdom of God as a result. Will you eat bread in the kingdom of God?