Dinner Date | Revelation 3:20

Welcome to Real Life! Are you hungry?

“Dinner with friends is cheaper than therapy!”
–Anonymous

It wasn’t just good people who came to hear Jesus teach. Liars, cheaters, and prostitutes also drew near to hear his words of truth, hope, and forgiveness. The religious leaders muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”[1]

Did you catch that? Not only did Jesus welcome sinners into his presence as he taught and proclaimed the kingdom of God, he ate with them. That means he sat down, shared a meal, and spent time talking with people who were unchurched, unholy, and unredeemed.

Why did he do that? “You cannot know God if you do not experience being known by him.”[2] Not only did Jesus want people to know who he is and why he came, he wanted them to experience being known by God. I see you. I know who you are. I care about you.

One of my favorite things is to meet a friend for dinner. We don’t rush. We relax and take our time eating and enjoying each other’s company. After we finish the meal, we’re in no hurry to leave. We linger and talk about life. After sharing a meal with someone, I walk away knowing that person better, but also feeling that they know me better. Not only did we share a meal, we shared our hearts and souls. I feel a closeness with them.


Jesus wants us to experience this feeling of closeness with him. Paul E. Miller writes, “When Jesus describes the intimacy he wants with us, he talks about joining us for dinner.”[3]

“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 NIV)

Notice, Jesus initiates the meeting. He is the one who knocks. Jesus invites relationship. He doesn't force it. He waits for us to respond and open the door. The Christian community often uses this verse in the context of Jesus inviting an unbeliever into a life of faith. It definitely fits that scenario, for Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them. In actual context, however, Jesus is speaking to church members. He is calling us out of a lukewarm, I-barely-care faith, and inviting us into a deeper, more engaging relationship with himself.

“To be known is one of God’s passions.
While he desires for us to have the experience of being known by him,
just as important is his desire to experience being known by us.”[4]

Clearly, God wants us to know him. The question is how will you and I respond? In this noisy, crazy, busy world, will we even hear him knocking? And if so, how will we answer? Thanks for stopping by, Jesus, but I’m pretty busy with life right now. Can you come back next week? We set aside time to meet friends for dinner because we care about them and want to spend time with them. Will we set aside time to open the door, welcome Jesus in, and enjoy a meal with the lover of our souls?


Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for loving us so dearly and pursuing a relationship with us.
Open our ears to hear you knocking.
We want to open the door and invite you into our hearts and lives every day,
So that we will grow into a deeper and more engaging relationship with you.
We love you, Jesus, and we want to know and love you more.
In your holy name we pray. Amen.


Take it further…Practically speaking, how can you and I share a meal with Jesus? A few suggestions:
  1. The Practice of Daily Devotions: Set aside time to meet with Jesus, read his Word, and pray. If you are new to the Bible, start by reading one of the gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. These books capture the stories of Jesus’ life on earth. You may find it helpful to journal about what you are learning: write down any questions, maybe even write out your prayers, and how you sense God is answering them.

  2. Worship: Attend a church service. Praise the Lord in song. Carry a worship song with you through the day. God inhabits the praises of his people (Psalm 22:3).

  3. Bedtime: Before falling asleep or upon awakening, lie still in God’s presence, and whisper a simple prayer, like, “You are with me, Jesus.”

  4. Memorizing, Meditating On, and Praying Scripture better enables us to experience God's presence. I recommend:
    Psalm 23 The Lord is my Shepherd.
    Psalm 139 You have searched me, Lord and you know me.
    Matthew 5:3-12  Blessed are the poor in spirit.

  5. Nature: Experience God through the beauty of his creation: sunrises and sunsets, the ocean, mountains, and forests (Psalm 19:1). Take a walk and talk with Jesus as if he were walking with you, because he is!

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
(James 4:8)


Dinner Image by Canva
[1] Luke 15:2
[2] Anatomy of the Soul by Curt Thompson, M.D., p. 24
[3] A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller
[4] Anatomy of the Soul by Curt Thompson, M.D., p. 23

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