JESUS SHAKES UP A DINNER PARTY
Luke 14:12-14 NKJV
12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
I am so impressed with Jesus. His willingness to walk into a dinner with the very people who opposed Him is inspiring. Jesus feared no man and no situation.
In our chapter for today, Jesus is speaking to one of the rulers of the Pharisees who had invited Jesus for dinner. Jesus kicks off the party by healing a man who had dropsy. For those of you who, like me, have no idea what this was. Dropsy was a condition where the limbs and the body were swollen with water. Jesus challenged the lawyers and Pharisees present with the question of whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. And amazingly, they stayed quiet. They had answered Jesus before, and He made them look foolish, so this time, they kept their mouths shut. Welcome to dinner.
Then Jesus noticed how all these men jockeyed for the best places at the dinner table. So, He addressed that and encouraged them to take a lower place first. His premise was that those who exalt themselves get humbled, and those who humble themselves get exalted. Jesus covered all this before dessert was served, and He was not done.
In our verses for today, Jesus is talking about what true generosity looks like. Instead of giving a feast for people who can pay you back, give a feast for those who are on the margins. So Jesus advocated giving a feast for the poor, and those with disabilities. These would be the people who could not repay you. These were the people who you were not trying to impress but rather to bless. And in doing this Jesus said you would be blessed in the life to come.
The interesting thing about the dinner party Jesus was suggesting was that it was so foreign to the Pharisees. They despised the poor and the people with disabilities. The Pharisees were well known for treating people like this badly or, at the very least, ignoring their existence. And now Jesus is advocating inviting them for dinner.
Jesus wrapped up the meal by talking about those who would respond to God’s Kingdom. And He mentioned the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind. The wealthy and the too-busy people made excuses and missed the Kingdom. Jesus sure knew how to liven up a dinner.
APPLICATION
Once again, we see Jesus bringing a completely different perspective to the religious order of that day. The Pharisees thought they had it all together, but Jesus advocated for a new way of looking at God’s Kingdom and God’s people.
It is not uncommon today for people who are on the margins of society to be overlooked. But God’s Kingdom is much more about heart than social standing and physical attractiveness. People matter to God, and often, those who may not have as much going for them are the ones who have such a heart for God. This is a key reason we open our church doors to everyone, not just those who can “repay” us.
PRAYER
Lord, help me see people and things from Your perspective, not from the perspective of the culture around me.