The Inviting Christ
Scripture Reading: Luke 14:1-24
Meditation
Jesus knew the Sabbath invitation wasn’t sincere, but he went anyway.
As he entered the Pharisee’s house, there in front of him—like live bait squirming in a concealed trap—was a man suffering from dropsy. The Pharisee had purposefully placed the man there. It was a predetermined, carefully planned, and premeditative act. As Jesus approached the man, the Pharisee and the experts in the law took their positions and carefully watched what Jesus would do.
Would he relieve suffering or rest on the Sabbath? Would he fold his hands and pray or extend his hands and heal? Would he look on the man with pity or observe the day with piety?
If Jesus heals the man, he breaks the Sabbath.
If he keeps the Sabbath, he shatters the man.
Which will it be: the sanctity of the person or the sanctity of the day?
Jesus makes his choice. He steps into the trap. As he does, he disarms it with a healing touch and a set of questions.
“Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?’ But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away.
Then he asked them, ‘If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?’ And they had nothing to say.”
The dinner invitation was a trap, but with the trap disarmed, Jesus begins to teach. As he makes his way to the table, he notices how the guests maneuver for the places of honor. Through a parable and some lively table talk, Jesus begins to explain banquet etiquette in the kingdom of God.
“But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Humble yourself. Let someone else exalt you.
“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.”
Give a banquet with great generosity. Invite those who don’t get invited to anything else. Your reward will be at the resurrection.
When one of those at the table hears Jesus talking about these things, he exclaims,
“Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
Immediately, Jesus responds with a parable. In it, he describes the future celebration in the kingdom of God as well as those who will be invited, those who will refuse to come, and those who will attend.
In the parable, the host invites many to attend. They accept. But when it’s time for the banquet to begin, all of those who were invited begin to make excuses. They refuse to come. They reject the host.
The host becomes angry. He wants his house to be full and so he invites the outcasts to come instead. His servants bring the poor, the blind, the crippled and the lame into his house. His house is finally full. The banquet begins. The doors are locked. The ones who refused the invitation stand outside without even a morsel from the banquet table.
The Inviting Christ, unlike the Pharisee, doesn’t entrap nor does he entice. He simply invites. He has no ulterior motive. No hidden agenda. His guest list isn’t exclusive; it’s inclusive. All are welcome.
He simply says,
“Come! Be with me at my banquet!”
Receiving the invitation to the banquet is one thing; sitting at the table is another. Many are invited but few come. Between the banquet invitation and the first course there are countless excuses, refusals, and rejections.
And yet the Inviting Christ wants his house to be full.
Before the doors close, he invites the outcasts, the nobodies, the insignificant, the unimportant, the inconsequential, and the ones who have been misused, used, and abused. In the kingdom of God, the man with dropsy is no longer a doorstop at the Pharisee’s house; he’s at the head table.
The Pharisee?
He’s locked outside begging for a crumb.
Jesus exalts the humble and humbles the exalted.
Prayer
One Sabbath, your Son was invited to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee. When he entered the house, he wasn’t welcomed, but he was carefully watched. The invitation wasn’t an invitation; it was a trap. But Jesus turned the trap into an opportunity to teach.
Through a healing, casual table talk and a parable, he taught about the urgency of compassion, the earthly rewards of humility, the eternal blessings of generosity, and the extension of the gospel to all people. And in the teaching he offered his own invitation. It wasn’t a back- handed enticement, lure, or snare. His words were straight, sincere, and open handed.
He simply said,
“I’m having a banquet. You’re all invited. When it’s ready, I’ll let you know. Please come!”
During this day, help me know that the Inviting Christ has requested my presence at his heavenly banquet. As I wait for the banquet call, may he give me a spirit of humility to take the “least important place”, a heart of generosity to host a banquet for those who cannot repay, and an attitude of expectancy that longs for his call.
It’s in the Inviting Christ’s name that I pray. Amen.
Reflection
Consider the man with dropsy. What does it feel like to be used, especially when you’re suffering?
How could you practice the discipline of humility and take the “least important place” this day?
In what way can you throw a banquet for “the least” among you without expecting them to pay you back? What would be your resurrection reward?
Are you making any excuses for not attending the Great Banquet?
All Scripture references in the meditation are marked by italics and are taken from the Gospel reading for the day (Luke 14:1-24). Those verses quoted outside of the chosen reading for the day are noted in parenthesis. All Scripture quoted on this site is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.