Luke 14:1, 7-14
Etiquette of the Kingdom
Jesus, in the scripture reading for today, is at the house of a leader of the Pharisees. He’s there to eat dinner. Luke tells us that the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely. They apparently wanted to see what Jesus was going to say and do. However, Jesus was watching them carefully too.
What Jesus noticed was how the guests seemed to be vying for places of honor around the dinner table.
So, Jesus tells them a parable to illustrate how one should act in a group of people. It sounds like Jesus is giving advice on proper etiquette. Etiquette refers to a set of unwritten rules, customs, and norms for polite, acceptable behavior. I’m reasonably sure that there is more to what Jesus wants to give them than simple rules of polite social etiquette.
Jesus tells them and us that we should not just assume we are entitled to places of honor at a gathering of people. Choose to sit at the lowest place. Allow the host to invite you to move up to a more prestigious place. Jesus made the pronouncement, “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted!”
Then Jesus addressed the host of the dinner party. He told the host when you have a luncheon or dinner party, don’t just invite the influential people you know who you think can pay you back somehow. Instead, invite people like the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Do not just associate with people who will return you a favor.
What is the meaning that Jesus wants us to get? I think Jesus is concerned about how we treat other people. Do we befriend those who can do something for us? Or do we treat people in a way that we believe God would treat them.
Jesus was all about reaching out to those who could not help themselves. He reached out to people who were often cast aside by others because they didn’t look the same, talk the same, or believe the same way. Jesus wants us to live out of a sense of blessing and abundance. Don’t simply do things because of what we may receive back in return rather reach out to others because that’s what God has done for us.
- Are there people you see every day that you think God would want you to reach out to?
- Who do you associate with and why? Are you a friend to someone because of what they can do for you, or are you a friend because of what you can do for them?
