These days, it’s easy to get caught up in politics and let the turbulence of various issues get the best of us. Today, I pray that we all be spiritually anchored in Christ by opening our spiritual senses to God’s uninterrupted, gracious presence in all things—including the small and mundane yet essential acts we do. One such essential act is having a meal.
We often eat on the run or rush through meals to move on to the next task. In a fast-paced world, taking time to linger over a meal may seem like a luxury. Yet, the Bible invites us to recognize the profound theological importance of our meals. Regardless of what we eat or drink or where our food comes from, each meal is an opportunity to experience God’s grace and provision.
We eat and drink thanks to God’s gracious provision for our needs. As written in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” It’s no wonder, then, that we offer prayers of thanksgiving before meals, acknowledging God’s goodness.
Each meal is sacred because it points to the promise of an eternal banquet. This echoes the vision of the messianic feast. Jesus spoke of this in Luke 13:29: “People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.” In Revelation 19:9, we’re invited to “the wedding supper of the Lamb,” symbolizing eternal communion with God. The Lord’s Supper is a profound example of a meal that anticipates Jesus’ return and the eternal banquet (Luke 22:18). This meal not only commemorates his sacrifice but also looks forward to his return.
Our daily meals are a foretaste of that eternal feast. On the road to Emmaus, when Jesus broke bread with two disciples, “their eyes were opened, and they recognized him” (Luke 24:31). In the breaking of bread, they experienced his presence. Our bodily and temporal lives are sacred because they point to the promise of eternal life. Our physical hunger and its satisfaction through food symbolize our deeper spiritual hunger, which only Christ can fulfill.
Let us keep an eternal perspective when we participate in a meal. As we eat and drink, we are engaging in a sacred act that sustains our bodies and points us to the eternal banquet in God’s kingdom. Every meal is an opportunity to remember God’s eternal grace bestowed upon us.
The Lord be with us all. Amen.