Moving Hearts From Babel To The Table
When you build a giant jenga tower the taller it gets the weaker it becomes. In Genesis 11 the story of Babel reminds us of three hollow foundations that humanity built upon. The foundations represent a posture of the human heart.
“Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11.4
“Build ourselves a City”
“Make a name for ourselves”
“Reach the heavens”
Sounds familiar? It could be the motto of any ‘successful’ organisation today. Cities back then (according to Craig Keener) were not areas where everyone lived, but walled-off areas that held a grain store, a temple and any other important civic buildings. Around this walled area, people would pitch their tents and find a degree of security as they looked inwards.
In Genesis 1.28 humankind is commissioned to ‘be fruitful’ and ‘multiply and fill the earth and subdue it’. After the flood, the same commission comes in Genesis 9.7. All of it points to the call to scatter, to go again, to trust God and not to just store and huddle. The call was to replace ‘in’ security with ‘His’ security… Maybe we should call it ‘up’ security, or ‘out’ security or just ‘faith’?
If we contrast Genesis 11 with Abraham in Genesis 12 we see all of this in action. Abraham listens to God and ‘goes’. He leaves all that is familiar and heads out into the unknown. He trusts, he travels and he blesses and builds. And the stark contrast is that where he stops he doesn’t build a city. He builds an altar (Gen 13.8, 12.7 and 13.1). A table set apart for the worship of God. It is where Abraham cries out to God for redemption and renewal.
If we fast forward to the book of Acts and the early church we see the Holy Spirit give life to a new community that meets and eats and prays and breaks bread around the table (Acts 2.42-47). In fact, we look at the gospels and we learn that the purpose of Jesus was to seek and save the lost (Luke 19.10) and to serve and not be served and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10.45) but the method of Jesus, as he walked the earth, was to spend time around the table. We are told “The son of man came eating and drinking” (Luke 7.34) In fact a quick tour through Luke and we might be a little surprised:
1 .Luke 5 - Jesus eats with tax collectors;
2. Luke 7 - Jesus is anointed at the home of Simon the Pharisee during a meal;
3. Luke 9 - Jesus feeds the five thousand;
4. Luke 10 - Jesus eats at the home of Martha and Mary;
5. Luke 11 - he condemns the Pharisees at a meal;
6. Luke 14 - he is at a meal when he urges others to invite the poor to a meal;
7. Luke 19 - Jesus invites himself to dinner with Zaccheus;
8. Luke 22 - is the last supper;
9. Luke 24 - the risen Christ has a meal with the two disciples in Emmaus and then eats fish with the disciples in Jerusalem. The great banqueting table is the picture of heaven.
Robert Karris says: ‘In Luke’s gospel Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal or coming from a meal’ (T Chester - The Meal Jesus gave us p.14).
When Jesus sends out his disciples he tells them to pack as though they are flying Ryan Air (Matthew 10 and Luke 9). In other words travel light. No staff, no bag, no money, no extra shirt….They are to rely on the hospitality of others. They would have to join tables. Tables of stories, reconciliation, friendship, healing, hospitality and transformation.
As we circle back to Babel we remember that in the ecology of God we don’t build tables to make a name for ourselves or to reach the heavens,….but instead to practice the wonder of ‘koinonia’ (Acts 2.42 - a deep participatory community rooted in the presence and pursuit of God). This was born out of Pentecost and mentioned for the first time in Acts 2 as a direct result of the Spirit at work in the new community. Instead, of reaching, we let the heavens come down, instead of looking at ourselves, we let God be glorified in the heart of our homes and the home of our hearts and as we do so we wait and watch these circle communities begin to roll.