Luke 14: 1, 7-14
NIV 1One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched
7When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8"When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 12Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
The first thing I notice here is that despite the fact that Jesus had experienced multiple confrontations with the Pharisees and knew they were out to kill him, he still accepts an invite to dinner. This says to me that, I don’t write people off even when I’ve been hurt or don’t necessarily agree with them.
I also notice right off the bat Jesus was being carefully watched. We all are being watched by someone, now, I’m really not paranoid. J I just know that it’s human nature to watch others, especially if they proclaim something about themselves. If someone tells me, they play guitar, I anticipate their being able to play a song and it be recognizable. If they tell me they can cook, I expect it to taste good. If they tell me they are a Christian then I watch to see if they follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. I sure meet a lot of people who claim to be Christian who do not practice what Jesus taught, sometimes they haven’t even read his teachings (the Bible). I have to tell you this makes me sick! Let me tell you how I really feel…whoops, maybe I better not use that language here. You see the word Christian means (little Christ) it means we follow, believe and practice what Jesus taught. As humans, we make mistakes, we sin, we fail but if we claim to be Christian we confess, repent and make restitution then don’t keep hurting people (because that’s what sin is). Remember repent means “turn and go the opposite direction.”
Then Jesus tells a story, the story of a person who was invited to a banquet and takes the best seat in the house. Now this would be like being invited to a large banquet where Queen Elizabeth and parliament were the special guests. Getting there early then sitting on the platform beside her chair and waiting on everyone to arrive. Of course, when the Secret Service (or what ever those British guy’s in black are called) get there, my guess would be… you will be moved to a different table or out the door in rapid secession. This would embarrass and humiliate anyone, thrown out after you rented that Tux. Jesus is saying don’t be arrogant, don’t consider yourself above others, in His Kingdom we really are on level ground. Put others first, there’s no scratching to get to the top. When we take this mind set, when we really consider others as loved by God and loved by us, it’s easy to put them first. Oh yes, there’s risk involved, Jesus life shows us that!!!! I mean he ended up murdered. Yet, “God exalted Him and gave Him the Name that is above every name that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess the Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Being humble brings inner rewards from God… things like I don’t have to be stressed out about climbing the ladder, I can be content in encouraging others, I can have inner peace by not worrying about what others think, freedom from the bondage to be social acceptable. Personally, I love those rewards, simplifies life…
The passage ends with a call to be hospitable to those who can’t repay. I must look into myself and say, “How often do I do good things because there’s something in it for me?” It could be as little as doing something and feeling good about myself or as broad as doing good because it brings me economic rewards. Jesus is saying do it because you love God, because He is the only one you wish to please, and there in His Kingdom everyone matters. He invites the “misfits” and because we are Christian , so do we. No prejudices, no arrogance, no conceit, no egotism, no pride, no overconfidence, no self-importance – we are simply followers after God and lovers of mankind.
