Come to the Table and Why

Introduction

We’ll continue this week with two more Michael Card songs: Come to the Table and Why. Since today is a first Sunday of the month, when we do communion, I wanted to do a communion piece, and I also wanted a piece with a Lenten feel.

Come to the Table

Come to the Table is from Michael Card’s The Life album set (track 23), and it’s also done by John Michael Talbot on the Brother to Brother album, where Michael and John Michael each do songs from the other’s works.

Come to the table and savor the sight  
The wine and the bread that was broken  
And all have been welcomed to come if they might  
Accept as their own these two tokens  

The bread is His body, the wine is the blood  
And the one who provides them is true  
He freely offers, we freely receive  
To accept and believe Him is all we must do  

Come to the table and taste of the glory  
And savor the sorrow, He's dying tomorrow  
The hand that is breaking the bread  
Soon will be broken  

And here at the table, sit those who have loved You  
One is a traitor and one will deny  
But He's lived his life for them all  
And for all be crucified  

Come to the table He's prepared for you  
The bread of forgiveness, the wine of release  
Come to the table and sit down beside Him  
The Savior wants you to join in the feast  

Come to the table and see in His eyes  
The love that the Father has spoken  
And know you are welcome, whatever your crime  
For every commandment you've broken  

For He's come to love you and not to condemn  
And He offers a pardon of peace  
If you'll come to the table, you'll feel in your heart  
The greatest forgiveness, the greatest release  

Come to the table and taste of the glory  
And savor the sorrow, He's dying tomorrow  
The hand that is breaking the bread  
Soon will be broken  

And here at the table, sit those who have loved You  
One is a traitor and one will deny  
But He's lived his life for them all  
And for all be crucified  

Come to the table He's prepared for you  
The bread of forgiveness, the wine of release  
Come to the table and sit down beside Him  
The Savior wants you to join in the feast  

Come to the table He's prepared for you  
The bread of forgiveness, the wine of release  
Come to the table and sit down beside Him  
The Savior wants you to join in the feast  

Some of the things that come out to me:

• The song talks and reminds us that Judas is one for whom Christ died, and that Christ knew of Peter’s denials. There is nothing we can do that Christ isn’t willing to reach out to us with forgiveness. Christ has indeed come to love us and not condemn. In my view, he’s also asking us to change, but accepts us as we are.
• The hand that is breaking the bread soon will be broken. Powerful.
• The first verse includes the theology of the open table. It is Christ’s table, and it is his invitation. Christ gave communion to the traitor and the denier.

Why

I’ve loved this song for many years. It’s also from Michael’s The Life album, release in 1987. The contrasts here are striking, and this song is one that I come back to time and time again as part of my Christian listening habits.

Why did it have to be a friend  
Who chose to betray the Lord  
Why did he use a kiss to show them  
That's not what a kiss is for  

Only a friend can betray a friend  
A stranger has nothing to gain  
And only a friend comes close enough  
To ever cause so much pain  

And why did there have to be thorny  
Crown pressed upon His head  
It should have been the royal one  
Made of jewels and gold instead  

It had to be a crown of thorns  
Because in this life that we live  
For all who seek to love  
A thorn is all the world has to give  

And why did it have to be  
A heavy cross He was made to bare  
And why did they nail His feet and hands  
His love would have held Him there  

It was a cross for on a cross  
A thief was supposed to pay  
And Jesus had come into the world  
To steal every heart away  

Yes, Jesus had come into the world  
To steal every heart away