By John A. Huffman Jr. | Senior Pastor of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, Calif., and a contributing editor of Preaching
A memorial service. Let's celebrate in memory of what He has done for us in the life to come, which empowers us to live at a higher level in this life with meaning, with forgiveness, with a sense of purpose and strength to live and to be equipped to do the job that He has for us to be
kingdom builders.
Finally, the fourth of these pictures is the banquet. The late, great Scottish preacher Ian Pitt-Watson told a story of a king who was displeased that there was not much joy in his kingdom. People were no longer smiling. They were so busy doing the work of survival that there was not much joy. So, he called for a great banquet, got the largest place in the capital city and invited many. As they came into the banquet room that was sumptuously prepared, he had his servants tie each guest's left arm behind their back and put their right arms in a long cast. Well, the people thought that was strange. But they came in and went to the places where their name cards were, and they sat down.
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They saw all this sumptuous food in front of them, and they couldn't move their left arms. As they reached out their right arms, they were knocking over wine glasses and beverages glasses, going for this magnificent food. They'd get it either with a fork in their hands or in their fingers; but they couldn't get it in their mouths, until one enterprising chap looked at the person across the table and said, "My name's
so-and-so, what's yours?" Then he said, "Could I feed you?" And the person said, "Well, certainly. May I feed you?" What had been a large gathering of isolated individuals very quickly became a great, joyous occasion of people helping people, getting to know each other and sharing.
That's what this table is about. It is the table of our Lord. So whatever picture the Lord lays on your heart as you come to the table—that of the family reunion, or the symphony orchestra and choir, the memorial service or the banquet—come to the table. For that fellow on the airplane, that was show-and-tell time. For you and me, it's now, as we come to the table.
