Gospel for September 4, 2022

“Luke 14:28-30”
This hotel is near the airport in Saipan. It was begun, but the owner ran out of money, so it was never completed. Scaffolding still surrounds it.
[photo and description by Wayne]

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 14:25-33
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

What we might call Jesus’ Kingdom of God Movement is picking up momentum.  Large crowds are following him — no doubt attracted in large part by the availability of bread and fish, healings and miracles.  But these are only the signs of the coming kingdom.

Jesus finds it necessary to detail the cost of following him.  Obviously this will be demonstrated plainly when he arrives in Jerusalem and faces the cross.  Now he warns the crowds that in order to be his disciples, they must reorient themselves toward new priorities that will estrange them from their families, put their own lives at risk, and follow Jesus in the ways of sacrifice:

 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Jesus uses parables to illustrate that whoever follows him must first count the cost.  Perhaps he draws on his own experience as a carpenter when he describes the business aspects of building a tower.  He understands that cost estimates for building materials and labor are a necessary prerequisite to building — otherwise the builder won’t be able to finish the project!

And then a more dangerous example — the cost of going to war without the resources for weapons and troops.  Outnumbered two to one, Jesus suggests, the weaker army doesn’t stand much of a chance.

Jesus is quite pragmatic about the cost of discipleship.  Those who don’t have the willingness to make serious sacrifices don’t really follow Jesus.

Just in case they missed his point, he drives it home directly:

So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

APPLY:  

What does it mean to be a Christian?  Does it simply mean that one has been baptized and become a church member?  And attends Sunday services once in a while? Maybe even serves on a committee?

There’s nothing wrong with any of those things.  In fact, I highly commend them.  But they don’t make a person a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Kyle Idleman, the author of Not a Fan (Zondervan) explored the difference between being a fan of Jesus vs. a follower in an interview with CBN’s Chris Carpenter.

Click here to read Chris Carpenter’s interview with Kyle Idleman.

Kyle had discovered, in his own spiritual journey as a pastor, that he was using a business marketing model to grow his church.  And he could see that while the church grew in numbers, it didn’t necessarily grow in discipleship.

I think it could be safely assumed that the crowds that were following Jesus that day when he spoke to them were fans.  They loved the free concessions of bread and fish.  They were thrilled to see his healings and miracles.  They cheered him on when he verbally sparred with the Pharisees.  And they nodded approvingly at his wise words.  But they weren’t followers.

A follower gives all of him or herself to Christ.  Everything that they do is potentially an act of worship or witness — at the job, in school, on the ball field, in a soup kitchen, at a food pantry, in a county jail.

The great old hymn “Take My Life and Let it Be,” captures the essence of total commitment:

Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.

Frances Ridley Havergal’s hymn continues, with the total consecration of her hands, feet, voice, her lips filled with messages about Christ, her silver and gold, her intellect, all to the service of Christ.  Finally, she offers all to Christ:

Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.

The bad news is, Christ wants everything we have and everything we are.  The good news is that he gives us everything he has and everything he is.  That’s what the cross tells us.

RESPOND: 

Everything has a cost.  The discipline of following Jesus costs our whole lives.  But not following Jesus also has a cost.  The fan may cheer in the stadium, and then go home.  The follower stays out on the field and continues to strive and press on with Jesus.  The fan drives home in the traffic congestion — the follower wears the gold medal.

For example, there is a cost to learning the piano — practice, practice, practice.  Sitting on the piano bench when other kids are playing Xbox.  But what is the cost of not taking piano lessons?  Years of regret later in life, wishing you could play that Chopin etude, or Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.”

The disciplines of following Jesus — prayer, Bible study, worship, fasting, generosity, service to others — shape one’s life and character.  In a sense, we become spiritual athletes who run the race that is set before us.

The old spiritual, Do Lord, captures the essence of the cost and reward of discipleship in one of the refrains:

If you don’t bear the cross, then you can’t wear the crown
If you don’t bear the cross, then you can’t wear the crown
If you don’t bear the cross, then you can’t wear the crown
Way beyond the blue.

Lord, I am grateful for your grace — but I’m also aware that you don’t offer “cheap” grace.  Your grace is costly.  It cost you the cross. And following you costs me my own cross as well. I trust that as I follow you, you will be at work in me both to will and work your good pleasure.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
"Luke 14:28-30" by Wayne is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for August 28, 2022

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 14:1, 7-14
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Jesus addresses the unlikely topic of manners and hospitality.  Actually, he himself has been invited to the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees for a meal.

The Pharisees were not unanimously united against Jesus, but the majority seemed to want to see him stumble. They were watching him closely on the Sabbath to see if they could catch him yet again in a violation of their interpretation of Sabbath observance.  Already Jesus has challenged their oral traditions about the law of the Sabbath by offering his own compassionate views (Luke 6:1-11; Luke 13:10-17).

However, Jesus takes the offensive by changing the subject to their customs and manners.  He has been observing the behavior of the guests at the meal, and apparently has noticed that some had jockeyed for position based on their own sense of self-importance:

When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place.

His counsel is that they should choose their seating with modesty instead of self-importance.  But Jesus is clearly making a broader spiritual point about personal character:

For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

This is a message consistent with Biblical tradition.  Time and time again, the humble heart is exalted, and the proud are humbled:

For you deliver a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down (Psalm 18:7).

And then he turns to those who are in position to offer generous hospitality.  He advises the leader of the Pharisees that hospitality should not be offered as a means of gaining advantage or currying favor, but as a means of true ministry to those who cannot offer anything in return:

When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid.  But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.

Such compassion won’t be repaid by the poor, crippled, lame and blind — but God takes notice of such unconditional kindness, and offers a more lasting compensation:   

And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

APPLY:  

Somehow it seems strange that Jesus addresses matters we might think more fitting for Emily Post or Miss Manners.  This is a reminder to us that everything that we do is a matter of kingdom ethics.  How we live — how we use earth’s resources, how we treat other people, even how we behave in social situations — are all part of our lives and thus part of our Christian lives.

We cannot compartmentalize our lives into spiritual things vs. earthly things.  Everything in our lives matters to God.

In this case, even a dinner party teaches us about humility and true hospitality.

In a world where we are encouraged to be “number one” and to gain superiority and honor over our peers, Jesus teaches us to humble ourselves so that we may be exalted.

And in a world in which generosity becomes a means of gaining esteem and “earning points,” Jesus teaches us to give without expecting anything in return.

This is also a lesson in deferred gratification.  The teachings of Jesus do promise reward — but it is a reward that is not yet realized.  We must wait.  So instant gratification is not a kingdom virtue.  

RESPOND: 

A rabbi’s disciple once asked his rabbi a difficult question. “Rabbi, why do people not see the Lord today as they once did in the times of the Patriarchs and the Prophets?”  The rabbi thought about it for a moment, and then said, “Perhaps it’s because we don’t humble ourselves low enough to see him.”

The modern world is all about competition, getting ahead, and reaching for the highest rung of the ladder.  But true self-awareness and detachment from this world brings us to the awareness that there are always those who exceed us, and in comparison to the glory of God we must always recognize our humility.  That is perspective.

The paradox is that as we gain perspective about our limitations, God lifts us up:

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you (James 4:10).

Lord, I recognize that being your follower is not just about my “spiritual” life — it’s about every aspect of my life.  It’s about how I treat others, and it’s about recognizing my limitations and my need for you.  Help me to treat others as you treat them.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
"Seating Assignments" by erinsikorskystewart is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for September 8, 2019

“Luke 14:28-30”
This hotel is near the airport in Saipan. It was begun, but the owner ran out of money, so it was never completed. Scaffolding still surrounds it.
[photo and description by Wayne]

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 14:25-33
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

What we might call Jesus’ Kingdom of God Movement is picking up momentum.  Large crowds are following him — no doubt attracted in large part by the availability of bread and fish, healings and miracles.  But these are only the signs of the coming kingdom.

Jesus finds it necessary to detail the cost of following him.  Obviously this will be demonstrated plainly when he arrives in Jerusalem and faces the cross.  Now he warns the crowds that in order to be his disciples, they must reorient themselves toward new priorities that will estrange them from their families, put their own lives at risk, and follow Jesus in the ways of sacrifice:

 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Jesus uses parables to illustrate that whoever follows him must first count the cost.  Perhaps he draws on his own experience as a carpenter when he describes the business aspects of building a tower.  He understands that cost estimates for building materials and labor are a necessary prerequisite to building — otherwise the builder won’t be able to finish the project!

And then a more dangerous example — the cost of going to war without the resources for weapons and troops.  Outnumbered two to one, Jesus suggests, the weaker army doesn’t stand much of a chance.

Jesus is quite pragmatic about the cost of discipleship.  Those who don’t have the  willingness to make serious sacrifices don’t really follow Jesus.

Just in case they missed his point, he drives it home directly:

So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

APPLY:  

What does it mean to be a Christian?  Does it simply mean that one has been baptized and become a church member?  And attends Sunday services once in awhile? Maybe even serves on a committee?

There’s nothing wrong with any of those things.  In fact, I highly commend them.  But they don’t make a person a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Kyle Idleman, the author of Not a Fan (Zondervan) explored the difference between being a fan of Jesus vs. a follower in an interview with CBN’s Chris Carpenter.

Click here to read Chris Carpenter’s interview with Kyle Idleman.

Kyle had discovered, in his own spiritual journey as a pastor, that he was using a business marketing model to grow his church.  And he could see that while the church grew in numbers, it didn’t necessarily grown in discipleship.

I think it could be safely assumed that the crowds that were following Jesus that day when he spoke to them were fans.  They loved the free concessions of bread and fish.  They were thrilled to see his healings and miracles.  They cheered him on when he verbally sparred with the Pharisees.  And they nodded approvingly at his wise words.  But they weren’t followers.

A follower gives all of him or herself to Christ.  Everything that they do is potentially an act of worship or witness — at the job, in school, on the ball field, in a soup kitchen, at a food pantry, in a county jail.

The great old hymn “Take My Life and Let it Be,” captures the essence of total commitment:

Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.

Frances Ridley Havergal’s hymn continues, with the total consecration of her hands, feet, voice, her lips filled with messages about Christ, her silver and gold, her intellect, all to the service of Christ.  Finally, she offers all to Christ:

Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.

The bad news is, Christ wants everything we have and everything we are.  The good news is that he gives us everything he has and everything he is.  That’s what the cross tells us.

RESPOND: 

Everything has a cost.  The discipline of following Jesus costs our whole lives.  But not following Jesus also has a cost.  The fan may cheer in the stadium, and then go home.  The follower stays out on the field and continues to strive and press on with Jesus.  The fan drives home in the traffic congestion — the follower wears the gold medal.

For example, there is a cost to learning the piano — practice, practice, practice.  Sitting on the piano bench when other kids are playing X Box .  But what is the cost of not taking piano lessons?  Years of regret later in life, wishing you could play that Chopin etude, or Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.”

The disciplines of following Jesus — prayer, Bible study, worship, fasting, generosity, service to others — shape one’s life and character.  In a sense, we become spiritual athletes who run the race that is set before us.

The old spiritual, Do Lord, captures the essence of the cost and reward of discipleship in one of the refrains:

If you don’t bear the cross, then you can’t wear the crown
If you don’t bear the cross, then you can’t wear the crown
If you don’t bear the cross, then you can’t wear the crown
Way beyond the blue.

Lord, I am grateful for your grace — but I’m also aware that you don’t offer “cheap” grace.  Your grace is costly.  It cost you the cross. And following you costs me my own cross as well. I trust that as I follow you, you will be at work in me both to will and work your good pleasure.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
"Luke 14:28-30" by Wayne is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for September 1, 2019

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 14:1, 7-14
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Jesus addresses the unlikely topic of manners and hospitality.  Actually, he himself has been invited to the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees for a meal.

The Pharisees were not unanimously united against Jesus, but the majority seemed to want to see him stumble. They were watching him closely on the Sabbath to see if they could catch him yet again in a violation of their interpretation of Sabbath  observance.  Already Jesus has challenged their oral traditions about the law of the Sabbath by offering his own compassionate views (Luke 6:1-11; Luke 13:10-17).

However, Jesus takes the offensive by changing the subject to their customs and manners.  He has been observing the behavior of the guests at the meal, and apparently has noticed that some had jockeyed for position based on their own sense of self-importance:

When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place.

His counsel is that they should choose their seating with modesty instead of self-importance.  But Jesus is clearly making a broader spiritual point about personal character:

For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

This is a message consistent with Biblical tradition.  Time and time again, the humble heart is exalted, and the proud are humbled:

For you deliver a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down (Psalm 18:7).

And then he turns to those who are in position to offer generous hospitality.  He advises the leader of the Pharisees that hospitality should not be offered as a means of gaining advantage or currying favor, but as a means of true ministry to those who cannot offer anything in return:

When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid.  But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.

Such compassion won’t be repaid by the poor, crippled, lame and blind — but God takes notice of such unconditional kindness, and offers a more lasting compensation:   

And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

APPLY:  

Somehow it seems strange that Jesus addresses matters we might think more fitting for Emily Post or Miss Manners.  This is a reminder to us that everything that we do is a matter of kingdom ethics.  How we live — how we use earth’s resources, how we treat other people, even how we behave in social situations — are all part of our lives and thus part of our Christian lives.

We cannot compartmentalize our lives into spiritual things vs. earthly things.  Everything in our lives matters to God.

In this case, even a dinner party teaches us about humility and true hospitality.

In a world where we are encouraged to be “number one” and to gain superiority and honor over our peers, Jesus teaches us to humble ourselves so that we may be exalted.

In a world in which generosity becomes a means of gaining esteem and “earning points,” Jesus teaches us to give without expecting anything in return.

This is also a lesson in deferred gratification.  The teachings of Jesus do promise reward — but it is a reward that is not yet realized.  We must wait.  So instant gratification is not a kingdom virtue.  

RESPOND: 

A  rabbi’s disciple once asked his rabbi a difficult question. “Rabbi, why do people not see the Lord today as they once did in the times of the Patriarchs and the Prophets?”  The rabbi thought about it for a moment, and then said, “Perhaps it’s because we don’t humble ourselves low enough to see him.”

The modern world is all about competition, getting ahead, and reaching for the highest rung of the ladder.  But true self-awareness and detachment from this world brings us to the awareness that there are always those who exceed us, and in comparison to the glory of God we must always recognize our humility.  That is perspective.

But the paradox is that as we gain perspective about our limitations, God lifts us up:

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you (James 4:10).

Lord, I recognize that being your follower is not just about my “spiritual” life — it’s about every aspect of my life.  It’s about how I treat others, and it’s about recognizing my limitations and my need for you.  Help me to treat others as you treat them.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
"Seating Assignments" by erinsikorskystewart is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for September 4, 2016

“Luke 14:28-30”
This hotel is near the airport in Saipan. It was begun, but the owner ran out of money, so it was never completed. Scaffolding still surrounds it.
[photo and description by Wayne]

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Luke 14:25-33

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

What we might call Jesus’ Kingdom of God Movement is picking up momentum.  Large crowds are following him — no doubt attracted in large part by the availability of bread and fish, healings and miracles.  But these are only the signs of the coming kingdom.

Jesus finds it necessary to detail the cost of following him.  Obviously this will be demonstrated plainly when he arrives in Jerusalem and faces the cross.  Now he warns the crowds that in order to be his disciples, they must reorient themselves toward new priorities that will estrange them from their families, put their own lives at risk, and follow Jesus in the ways of sacrifice:

 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Jesus uses parables to illustrate that whoever follows him must first count the cost.  Perhaps he draws on his own experience as a carpenter when he describes the business aspects of building a tower.  He understands that cost estimates for building materials and labor are a necessary prerequisite to building — otherwise the builder won’t be able to finish the project!

And then a more dangerous example — the cost of going to war without the resources for weapons and troops.  Outnumbered two to one, Jesus suggests, the weaker army doesn’t stand much of a chance.

Jesus is quite pragmatic about the cost of discipleship.  Those who don’t have the  willingness to make serious sacrifices don’t really follow Jesus.

Just in case they missed his point, he drives it home directly:

So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

APPLY:  

What does it mean to be a Christian?  Does it simply mean that one has been baptized and become a church member?  And attends Sunday services once in awhile? Maybe even serves on a committee?

There’s nothing wrong with any of those things.  In fact, I highly commend them.  But they don’t make a person a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Kyle Idleman, the author of Not a Fan (Zondervan) explored the difference between being a fan of Jesus vs. a follower in an interview with CBN’s Chris Carpenter.

Click here to read Chris Carpenter’s interview with Kyle Idleman.

Kyle had discovered, in his own spiritual journey as a pastor, that he was using a business marketing model to grow his church.  And he could see that while the church grew in numbers, it didn’t necessarily grown in discipleship.

I think it could be safely assumed that the crowds that were following Jesus that day when he spoke to them were fans.  They loved the free concessions of bread and fish.  They were thrilled to see his healings and miracles.  They cheered him on when he verbally sparred with the Pharisees.  And they nodded approvingly at his wise words.  But they weren’t followers.

A follower gives all of him or herself to Christ.  Everything that they do is potentially an act of worship or witness — at the job, in school, on the ball field, in a soup kitchen, at a food pantry, in a county jail.

The great old hymn “Take My Life and Let it Be,” captures the essence of total commitment:

Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.

Frances Ridley Havergal’s hymn continues, with the total consecration of her hands, feet, voice, her lips filled with messages about Christ, her silver and gold, her intellect, all to the service of Christ.  Finally, she offers all to Christ:

Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.

The bad news is, Christ wants everything we have and everything we are.  The good news is that he gives us everything he has and everything he is.  That’s what the cross tells us.

RESPOND: 

Everything has a cost.  The discipline of following Jesus costs our whole lives.  But not following Jesus also has a cost.  The fan may cheer in the stadium, and then go home.  The follower stays out on the field and continues to strive and press on with Jesus.  The fan drives home in the traffic congestion — the follower wears the gold medal.

For example, there is a cost to learning the piano — practice, practice, practice.  Sitting on the piano bench when other kids are playing X Box .  But what is the cost of not taking piano lessons?  Years of regret later in life, wishing you could play that Chopin etude, or Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.”

The disciplines of following Jesus — prayer, Bible study, worship, fasting, generosity, service to others — shape one’s life and character.  In a sense, we become spiritual athletes who run the race that is set before us.

The old spiritual, Do Lord, captures the essence of the cost and reward of discipleship in one of the refrains:

If you don’t bear the cross, then you can’t wear the crown
If you don’t bear the cross, then you can’t wear the crown
If you don’t bear the cross, then you can’t wear the crown
Way beyond the blue.

Lord, I am grateful for your grace — but I’m also aware that you don’t offer “cheap” grace.  Your grace is costly.  It cost you the cross. And following you costs me my own cross as well. I trust that as I follow you, you will be at work in me both to will and work your good pleasure.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
"Luke 14:28-30" by Wayne is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for August 28, 2016

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Luke 14:1, 7-14

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Jesus addresses the unlikely topic of manners and hospitality.  Actually, he himself has been invited to the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees for a meal.

The Pharisees were not unanimously united against Jesus, but the majority seemed to want to see him stumble. They were watching him closely on the Sabbath to see if they could catch him yet again in a violation of their interpretation of Sabbath  observance.  Already Jesus has challenged their oral traditions about the law of the Sabbath by offering his own compassionate views (Luke 6:1-11; Luke 13:10-17).

However, Jesus takes the offensive by changing the subject to their customs and manners.  He has been observing the behavior of the guests at the meal, and apparently has noticed that some had jockeyed for position based on their own sense of self-importance:

 When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place.

His counsel is that they should choose their seating with modesty instead of self-importance.  But Jesus is clearly making a broader spiritual point about personal character:

For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

This is a message consistent with Biblical tradition.  Time and time again, the humble heart is exalted, and the proud are humbled:

For you deliver a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down (Psalm 18:7).

And then he turns to those who are in position to offer generous hospitality.  He advises the leader of the Pharisees that hospitality should not be offered as a means of gaining advantage or currying favor, but as a means of true ministry to those who cannot offer anything in return:

When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid.  But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.

Such compassion won’t be repaid by the poor, crippled, lame and blind — but God takes notice of such unconditional kindness, and offers a more lasting compensation:   

And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

APPLY:  

Somehow it seems strange that Jesus addresses matters we might think more fitting for Emily Post or Miss Manners.  This is a reminder to us that everything that we do is a matter of kingdom ethics.  How we live — how we use earth’s resources, how we treat other people, even how we behave in social situations — are all part of our lives and thus part of our Christian lives.

We cannot compartmentalize our lives into spiritual things vs. earthly things.  Everything in our lives matters to God.

In this case, even a dinner party teaches us about humility and true hospitality.

In a world where we are encouraged to be “number one” and to gain superiority and honor over our peers, Jesus teaches us to humble ourselves so that we may be exalted.

In a world in which generosity becomes a means of gaining esteem and “earning points,” Jesus teaches us to give without expecting anything in return.

This is also a lesson in deferred gratification.  The teachings of Jesus do promise reward — but it is a reward that is not yet realized.  We must wait.  So instant gratification is not a kingdom virtue.  

RESPOND: 

A  rabbi’s disciple once asked his rabbi a difficult question. “Rabbi, why do people not see the Lord today as they once did in the times of the Patriarchs and the Prophets?”  The rabbi thought about it for a moment, and then said, “Perhaps it’s because we don’t humble ourselves low enough to see him.”

The modern world is all about competition, getting ahead, and reaching for the highest rung of the ladder.  But true self-awareness and detachment from this world brings us to the awareness that there are always those who exceed us, and in comparison to the glory of God we must always recognize our humility.  That is perspective.

But the paradox is that as we gain perspective about our limitations, God lifts us up:

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you (James 4:10).

Lord, I recognize that being your follower is not just about my “spiritual” life — it’s about every aspect of my life.  It’s about how I treat others, and it’s about recognizing my limitations and my need for you.  Help me to treat others as you treat them.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
"Seating Assignments" by erinsikorskystewart is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.