If you know me at all, you know I love board games. Seriously — give me a good game, some friends, maybe some coffee, and I’m a happy guy. There’s just something about sitting around a table rolling dice, strategizing, laughing, and sometimes losing spectacularly that feeds the soul in a way scrolling a screen never can.
But the older I get, the more I realize it’s not really about the games. It’s about the table.
The table is where life happens.
It’s where we eat meals together and share stories from the day.
It’s where Bible studies unfold, questions get asked, and faith grows deeper.
It’s where homework battles are fought, creativity is sparked, and kids feel supported.
It’s where conversations get real, laughter gets loud, and sometimes tears show up too.
The table is more than furniture — it’s a place of connection.
Jesus Loved Tables Too
When you read the Gospels, Jesus is constantly meeting people at tables. Not just religious leaders or the “put together” crowd either. Tax collectors, sinners, doubters, friends, outsiders — He made room for all of them.
Meals weren’t just about food in that culture. Eating together meant acceptance, relationship, and belonging. When Jesus sat at a table with someone, He was saying, You matter. You’re welcome here.
Think about:
- Zacchaeus, the tax collector — Jesus invited Himself over for dinner (Luke 19:1–10).
- Matthew — Jesus ate with him and a whole crew of sinners (Matthew 9:10–13).
- The Last Supper — a table where Jesus showed ultimate love and sacrifice (Luke 22:14–20).
- The resurrected Jesus cooking breakfast for His disciples (John 21:9–13).
Jesus used tables to disciple, restore, challenge, and love people.
And honestly? We still can.
Why the Table Matters Today
In a world full of noise, hurry, and isolation, the table becomes a sacred space.
Phones get set down.
Eyes meet.
Hearts open.
Faith conversations happen naturally.
You don’t need a perfect house, gourmet food, or a perfectly planned devotional. Sometimes frozen pizza, a board game, and honest conversation can be holy ground.
Hospitality isn’t about impressing — it’s about welcoming.
Community doesn’t accidentally happen. It usually starts with an invitation:
“Hey… want to come sit at the table?”
A Challenge for Us
Jesus didn’t just sit at tables — He created space for people who normally wouldn’t have one. And as His followers, we’re called to do the same.
So here’s the question I’m asking myself lately:
Who am I inviting to the table?
Is it only people like me?
Only safe people?
Only convenient people?
Or am I making room for neighbors, coworkers, church family, skeptics, lonely friends, and people who just need to know they belong?
Because sometimes the most powerful ministry doesn’t happen from a stage — it happens from a chair around a table.
And honestly, some of the deepest discipleship I’ve ever seen started with food, laughter, board games, Scripture, and simply showing up together.
Jesus modeled it clearly:
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.” — Matthew 9:10
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” — Revelation 3:20
Jesus meets us at the table.
He invites us to His table.
And then He sends us out to make room at ours.
So again I’ll ask — for you and for I:
Who are we inviting to the table?
Lord Jesus, thank You for always making room for us at Your table. Thank You for Your grace, Your invitation, and the reminder that none of us belong there because we earned it — only because You love us.
Help us to see our own tables differently. Whether it’s over board games, meals, coffee, homework, Bible study, or simple conversation, show us how those moments can become sacred spaces. Give us eyes to notice the people who may feel unseen, lonely, or unsure if they belong.
Teach us to practice true hospitality — not to impress others, but to welcome them. Give us courage to invite, patience to listen, and hearts that reflect Yours. May our tables become places of laughter, healing, encouragement, and faith.
And Lord, remind us daily that we are always welcome at Your table first. Let that truth shape how we love others.
We ask all this in Your name, Jesus.
Amen.
John Johnson Does Stuff 