There’s something special about sharing a meal together. As we begin 2025, I’ve been reflecting on how much of Jesus’ ministry revolved around the dinner table. His outreach to people often centered around meals and showing hospitality. In fact, research shows that sharing food together releases oxytocin, the “bonding hormone” that promotes social connection and cooperation. Perhaps that’s why church potlucks and small group dinners have always been such powerful tools for building community.

Jesus certainly understood the power of a shared meal. In Luke’s Gospel, we find Him frequently dining with all sorts of people – from close friends to strangers, from the respected to the rejected. When criticized for this practice, Jesus pointed out the irony of His critics: “John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners'” (Luke 7:33-34).