Renewing a Friendship

RENEWING A BROKEN COVENANT Among oriental people, when a covenant of friendship has been once broken, it may be renewed by those involved once again eating together. After His resurrection, JESUS ate at least three times with various disciples of His, and this was no doubt done in order to renew the covenant, which had been broken by their disloyalty to Him during the days of His passion29 (cf. Luke 24:30, 41-43; John 21:12, 13). In the Old Testament we have an example of this when Jacob and Laban were in strained relationship. They restored their friendship by eating together, as well as entering into an oath (Genesis 31:53,54). [Manners And Customs of Bible Lands]