Luke 14:12-14
“Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you give a luncheon
or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or
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.’” (NIV)
Reflection
It's kind of cruel to have you read about luncheons, dinners and banquets during Rice & Beans Month. But at least there were no instructions about number of courses to serve or savory recipes explained. And that's pretty much the point. This text is not about food or feasting, it's about humility, about giving yourself without consideration of what comes back to you in terms of material or social benefits. It's about dropping our self-absorption in order to offer the dignity of inclusion to those who can't match the honor inkind. This requires a transcendent hope; one that lifts us above our earthly preoccupations and centers us on Christ's love. Only then can we resist our natural desire for repayment and trust that blessings greater than goods or reputation will be imparted to those whose love is manifest in solidarity with the vulnerable. Press on then, eat more rice and beans, because your sacrifice is, in a sense, inviting the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind to the banquet of love, honor and dignity. It's a display of the love of Jesus!
- Clark Blakeman, Lahash Board Member
For Kids
Giving someone a present, sharing your lunch with a classmate, or letting
someone take a turn first are all nice things we can do for our
friends. They will probably say “Thank you!” or even share with you the
next time. But what if someone doesn't say “Thank you,” or they don't
have enough to share with you? Doing nice things for those people is a lot
harder, because you might not get anything back. But Jesus tells us to love
everybody, especially people who are not able to do anything nice for
us. It might be hard, but Jesus said if we love everyone, He will reward us
with incredible riches in Heaven!
My favorite part of this devotional is the line "It's about dropping our self-absorption in order to offer the dignity of inclusion to those who can't match the honor inkind." Too often I give or serve with the idea in my mind of what credit or return I'll get for it. I appreciate being called out on that in such a beautifully expressed way.
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