SErmon notes: Pentecost 13; Luke 14: 1, 7-14

preamble:

Most times when the lectionary leaves out a bit, it is usually a tale of woe or some such equivalent. This week's "official" reading is Luke 14:1, 7-14. Which of course leaves out verses 2-6. I wonder if the modern editors simply did not think that this passage "belongs" in this story.

The main story is about Jesus coming to a banquet at the Pharisee's house, and what he says there. The little interruption comes in the form of a miracle of healing on the Sabbath - the man with the withered hand. So it makes sense that this interruption is dropped from the reading, right? I mean, after all, we are never interrupted. At least not that we notice. By people who need help. As we are on our way to a banquet. On the Sabbath.

One of the things that sort of bothers me about the editing out of 2-6 in the lectionary version is simply that at the end of the parable, Jesus makes explicit reference to inviting the lame and the crippled; and yet a story which relates to one of them is edited out. It strikes me that to edit this passage on the basis of having covered the same material last week is to miss the point that last week's story focussed on healing on the sabbath in a synagogue, while this encounter happens precisely as they are going to a banquet - a banquet to which it does not appear the lame man is invited, which is exactly the point The editing treats the episode as merely another type of sabbath healing, which I suggest is insufficient. I suggest the editing also treats people in the gospel merely as "types" and not as persons - "we had a crippled healed last week, we don't need to cover that ground again."


Luke 14:1, 7-14

[blessed are those who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb]

14:1 On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.

The very first line of this morning’s Gospel reading actually gives us something to think about: Luke tells us that as Jesus was going off to the Pharisee’s house to have a Sabbath meal, “they were watching him closely”. That is a rather obvious way of saying that they were paying attention to every detail of what Jesus was doing and saying; a cynic or a realist might say that they were spying on him.

But at least they go this right, whatever their motives might have been: it is important to watch Jesus closely, to pay attention to the details of what he says and how he acts; to keep our eyes attentively on him. We might follow their example, but with a different motive in mind.

14:7 When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable.

It appears that Jesus is also paying close attention – he is watching how the guests tend to choose the “places of honour”. Not only are people watching Jesus closely, but he as well is watching them closely. Jesus notices the details of people’s lives – the guests who come to the Pharisee’s house, how they act, what they do. And Jesus is watching still – he notices the details of our lives.

14:8 "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; 14:9 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.

As Jesus is watching , he notices and comments on one general tendency which we humans have: - we tend to assume that we are more important than we really are. Surely there can’t be anyone more important than me coming to this banquet, right? I deserve this place of honour at the high table. I should be publicly recognized for the great person I am. I have the right to take whatever seat I want.

This is when self esteem crosses the line and becomes pride – the deadliest of spiritual diseases. Jesus shows us what happens when pride goes public. It results in the guests thinking that they are running the wedding banquet. They essentially try to take over what belongs to the host. Only the host can hand out the seats. yet these guests have such a high opinion of themselves that they expect everyone else to share that opinion. It is a case of “Look at me; I am important here and you all should take notice.”

But, Jesus goes on, what happens if the host should arrive and actually tell the guest: “You’re in the wrong place, I actually want someone else to sit here.”

In the kingdom of God things often work in an upside down-fashion. If you want a place of honour, you can only get to it by being humble. And if you live in humility, then you will end up being honoured. If you seek public recognition and glory and applause from others, you will end up without it. But if you seek only to love and to serve, you will end up getting glory and applause from the One who really matters – from God.

14:10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.

How many of us would naturally choose to sit at “the lowest place”? And it is here that perhaps the highest form of honour occurs: the host comes and says “Friend”. What higher honour could there being than being called “friend” by the host of the banquet?

14:11 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

Here we see that there is a certain amount of paradox in the Kingdom of God, some things don’t work quite the same way that we would expect them to work. And the kingdom of God is full of these sorts of things: love your enemies; give away your possessions in order to be rich; the first will be last and the last will be first;

14:12 He said also to the one who had invited him, "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. [13] But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. [14] And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Jesus is warning us against the “what’s in for me?” syndrome. That is, our generosity can be conditioned by expecting something in return. And we won’t give, unless we are sure we can get something in return.

Instead, Jesus gives us another example of “kingdom thinking”, and a picture of grace. There are two senses: yes, Jesus does mean for us to invite “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind”. And to see ourselves as the poor and blind invited to the wedding banquet. In giving to those who cannot repay we imitate God, who gave to us what we cannot repay.