Jesus is invited to a banquet by a prominent Pharisee. He is being watched by the Pharisees, who were respected teachers of the Torah but as we heard last week, Jesus called them hypocrites because they put themselves on a pedestal and were arrogant and exclusive. They are trying to trap him again but Jesus handles the situation with cool humour, turning the focus onto them.
Jesus teaching is new and revolutionary in bringing the spirit of God to the people alongside the law of Moses. On this occasion he reverses our earthly value system of worth and promotion of self interest into the heavenly kingdom value of humility and equality as children of God. In the parable Jesus tells us not to scrabble to find the best place but to take the lesser place so that we may be raised up by God. Jesus is talking also about the resurrection.
Jesus is speaking of the Kingdom of God, often referred to as a heavenly banquet. This is an upside down kingdom where earthly values are turned on their head. It is a kingdom where all are equal in the sight of God and all are welcome to share in our earth’s bounty. It is a kingdom that operates under different economic policies where we are not grabbling over scarcity of resources but accept graciously what we are given from the abundance of God who created the beauty of the universe. This kingdom functions by applying the principles of giving as well as receiving and seeing both as a blessing. It is knowing that all things are gifts from God. It is having an attitude of gratitude. It is being part of a community in the body of Christ. Jesus is the servant king who, as well as eating with all levels of society, washed his disciples feet.
The currency of God’s kingdom is not accumulating worldly assets, status and prestige but showing humility, generosity and hospitality to others as well as ourselves. We come to this kingdom with empty hands, as held out for the communion bread, for God to fill. When we see everything as gifts from God our perspective changes. It is through God’s generous invitation that we may enter the kingdom where everything is transformed as we see with new eyes. We cannot earn our invitation to the kingdom as it is freely given to all.
George Herbert wrote the poem ‘Love Bade Me Welcome’. God (Love) is host at a banquet where the invited guest suddenly becomes aware of how unprepared and unworthy he is. However God (Love) knows his humanity and welcomes him: And know you not who bore the blame? My dear, then I will serve. You must sit down, says Love and taste my meat. So I did sit and eat.
Our Reading from Hebrews states that by showing hospitality to strangers we may be entertaining angels unawares. Abraham and Sarah did just that! Three unknown men turned up at their tent they and provided the best hospitality they could. The strangers told them they would have a son. Sarah laughed with disbelief as she was 90 and Abraham 100! However, nothing is impossible for God and indeed within the next year Issac was born.
Transformation into kingdom living is by the renewing of our minds and putting our trust in God’s promise ‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you’
Angela Stewart, Lay Minister