In the last parable, Jesus taught us what not to do when we attend a dinner.
Now in Luke 14:12-15, He wants us to know what to do if we really want to show
hospitality. Showing hospitality was a common practice in the time of the New
Testament. Hotels were uncommon. Travelers depended much on generous and
hospitable people to host them. In verse 12, we see Jesus talking to His host
but His message was meant for a wider audience, the Pharisees. They had the
motive of inviting people to advance their own cause. Being truly hospitable
was farthest from their minds. They only wanted to show hospitality to those
who could return their favor. Therefore they would only invite people with the
means to do that. People who truly have needs and who couldn't return the
favor would never be invited by them.
So Jesus challenged them to invite the
poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind, people who couldn't reciprocate
their hospitality. These were considered the outcast and the despised. Few,
much less the Pharisees, would care for their existence. To Jesus, care ought
to be given to these needy people. Care should be given without being concerned
about reciprocity. Jesus assured them that, if they considered people with
needs and show hospitality with sincerity toward them, God Himself would repay
their kindness. And His repayment would far exceed what the richest man
could ever repay them.
In verse 15, we read that 'When one of
those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man
who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”' The Pharisees believed in
the resurrection and the life after. They taught about sitting at the table in
the banquet feast in heaven. All Pharisees assumed that they would be found
among that distinguished list of guests. What they failed to see was the
banquet feast in heaven is the banquet feast of the Lamb. The man to be honored
at that feast would be Jesus, whom they were attacking. That Pharisee, who yelled
out these words, probably assumed that he would be present at the feast and
Jesus would be absent. What pigheaded audacity!
It's common even today to want to
fellowship only with people who are influential. Why? They have the capacity to
help us climb the social ladder. Even in church, this is a common phenomenon.
The question to ask should be "What can I do to meet the needs of others?'
not "What can I do to get something in return?" We should learn to
view everyone with the eyes of Jesus. For us, who have heard the call of Jesus,
to follow Him in serving and meeting the needs of others is no longer an
option. It's good to know that the rich have needs and to want to help them
meet those needs, but let's not neglect the needs of the poor, the true needy
people.
No comments:
Post a Comment