I’ve written before about the significance of sharing a meal in the ancient Middle Eastern culture. It seems appropriate, however, as we talk about food that we consider the significance of the act of eating.

In our modern world, we often sit down and eat with strangers. We may not really be aware of the fact that we are eating with them, but we sit down in a restaurant where we are often sharing eating space with people we don’t know.

That would have been unheard of in ancient times. Meals were shared. People shared meals with one another. And they were aware of sharing meals with God. The book of Deuteronomy often talks about eating in the presence of the Lord. 1 Chronicles 29 also uses this expression.

During Jesus’ ministry, people were often offended by his choice of table companions. “He eats with sinners!” The early church is pictured as eating together on a regular basis. Sharing the Lord’s Supper with others was seen to be a means of establishing fellowship ties (1 Corinthians 10). By the same token, Christians were not even to eat with fellow believers who persisted in immorality (1 Corinthians 5:11)

The word “companion” comes from Latin roots meaning “with bread.” It’s the idea of the person that you share food with. As we think about our attitudes toward food, we need to recognize that there is more to eating than merely nourishing our bodies. Who we eat with is as important as what we eat.

Can you think of other texts that speak to this idea? Any examples from your own life?

[Edit, 10 a.m. CDT: I forgot a couple of critical texts that speak to this issue. I’ll merely include them here—

“So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”” (Acts 11:2-3)
“When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.” (Galatians 2:11-13)]