Luke 14:12-15
Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
Comments
The kingdom of God has often been referred to as the “upside down” kingdom because it is in so many ways the opposite of our own world.
The social custom in Jesus’ day (and in ours) was based on “one good turn deserves another.” Such thinking encourages us to help those who expect our help and who we expect to return the favor.
The closing comment by “one of those at the table” was a way of saying, “Surely such wretched people will have no part at the feast in the kingdom of God!” Read the rest of the story (Luke 14:16-24) to see Jesus’ response.
Reflection
How many gifts (birthday, Christmas, etc.) have you given in the past year? How many people have you entertained in your home? What portion of these are in the category of “friends, relatives and neighbors?”
What would it look like for you to take literally what Jesus says to do here? What barriers would keep you from inviting those who could never return the favor?
Prayer
Help me break through cultural norms, Lord, to glimpse what your kingdom could look like in today’s world.
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