[T]hat he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.  (1 Corinthians 15:4-8 ESV)

When you think about your days at school, what comes to mind? Maybe homework, weird-tasting cafeteria food, or being grateful to hear the last bell ring each day. Some people, however, may vividly remember the atmosphere of the lunch room, particularly how each seat at every table seemed to have a specific person’s name on it. Everyone sat with the same people; if you even dared to sit with different people, you would get strange looks and the table would go silent. 

So you either ended up sitting with your small group of friends every day, or alone at an empty table. Both of these options don’t seem the best, but unfortunately, that’s the way of life sometimes. 

In writing to the church of Corinth, Paul recounts the first few days after Jesus’ resurrection. He originally appeared to Cephas (Peter) before revealing himself to the rest of the twelve disciples. From there, He showed Himself to 500 other people, James, and more apostles. Finally, with what feels like a melancholy tone, Paul writes that Jesus finally appeared to him.

Paul felt left out, as if he couldn’t sit with everyone while they ate lunch. Paul was hungry for the same thing as everyone else - a Savior - but he had to wait longer than other people to begin his meal. But Jesus wasn’t actually leaving Paul out! Conversely, Jesus had a “seat at the table” for Paul and an assignment for Paul that was actually greater than those given to others. 

Not being at the popular table initially hurts; it hurts to feel left out. But Paul showed that even though he originally felt bad, he received 1) a purpose greater than he could have imagined, and 2) a feeling of satiation for his hunger for a Savior. Where is a place where you may feel left out, and how could Jesus be saving a seat for you at a different table in your life, one where you could go on to tell others about hungering for a Savior?