A SPECIAL BANQUET TO VISIT

A SPECIAL BANQUET TO VISIT by Howard Vanderwell

"A dinner was given in Jesus’ honor." John 12:2

Here’s a banquet I would love to have attended! Many of us have had that experience; we’ve heard about a special event and wish we’d been included. Many of us can remember the look of broken-heartedness on one of our children’s faces when they heard about a birthday party and they were not invited.

Well, let’s imagine we’re at this banquet, given in Jesus’ honor. It must have been at the home of Mary and Martha in Bethany. These women were Jesus’ close friends, the ones he relaxed with, the ones whose brother was Lazarus. Yes, Lazarus, the one who had been in the tomb for four days when Jesus brought him back to life! (See John 11.)

Just look around the banquet room. There’s Jesus! There are His disciples and his friends, Mary and Martha. Some other friends are present. And there’s Lazarus, the same man whom Jesus had miraculously raised from the dead! You can’t have a man like that at a banquet without him being at the center of attention! The banquet was clearly in Jesus’ honor because the resurrection of Lazarus had established Jesus’ reputation in that community.

Wouldn’t you love to have been there celebrating with Jesus? I would. Would you have asked Jesus about his miracles? Would you have lavishly anointed his feet with perfume like Mary? Or would you have just sat there in quiet awe?

There are many other events from those days that I’d love to have witnessed as well. I often think about that during the season of Lent. As we follow the theme “Were You There?” this week, let’s imagine together that we’re “on location” at the times when some of the most momentous events in history took place.

PRAYER: Gracious Lord, accept my deep thanks for coming to this earth to be my Savior. As I look in to observe your life and death this week, stir my faith in you. In your name, Amen.