They set the framework for discipleship. In the Good Samaritan He calls all disciples to be good neighbors, to be hospitable and welcoming.
Shared meals are a sign of inclusion and acceptance.
It is in the context of meals that many Gospel passages challenge exclusion and inhospitality. Jesus eats and drinks with all manner of folk, and invites all to share at his table, to partake of his food and drink. There's always room. A classical reading sees Christ in the Good Samaritan and Adam in the wounded stranger. In another way of reading this parable Jesus turns the story around.