Morning, October 16
Go To Evening Reading
“Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine.”
John 21:12
In these words the believer is invited to a holy nearness to Jesus.
“Come and dine,” implies the same table, the same meat; aye, and sometimes it means
to sit side by side, and lean our head upon the Saviour’s bosom. It is being brought into the banqueting-house, where waves
the banner of redeeming love. “Come and dine,” gives us a vision of union with Jesus , because the only food that we can feast upon when we dine with Jesus
is himself . Oh, what union is this! It is a depth which reason cannot fathom,
that we thus feed upon Jesus. “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and
I in him.” It is also an invitation to enjoy fellowship with the saints . Christians may differ on a variety of points, but they have all
one spiritual appetite; and if we cannot all feel alike, we can all feed alike on the bread of life sent down from heaven. At the table of
fellowship with Jesus we are one bread and one cup. As the loving
cup goes round we pledge one another heartily therein. Get nearer
to Jesus, and you will find yourself linked more and more in spirit
to all who are like yourself, supported by the same heavenly manna.
If we were more near to Jesus we should be more near to one another.
We likewise see in these words the source of strength for every Christian. To look at Christ is to live, but for strength
to serve him you must “come and dine.” We labour under much unnecessary weakness on account of neglecting
this precept of the Master. We none of us need to put ourselves on
low diet; on the contrary, we should fatten on the marrow and fatness
of the gospel that we may accumulate strength therein, and urge every
power to its full tension in the Master’s service. Thus, then, if you would realize nearness to Jesus, union with Jesus, love to his people and strength from Jesus , “come and dine” with him by faith.