When
I was preparing my sermon for this morning, I couldn’t help but think of the
Christmas song “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”. Now before you start thinking
that I’ve been working too hard and need a vacation let me explain. There is a
verse in that song that ties in quite nicely with my sermon. It goes like this:
He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows when you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake.
Jesus
is always watching us, especially how we treat others. Consider the situation
in this morning’s Gospel reading for example. Jesus was invited to a banquet at
the home of a Pharisee, and not because the Pharisee was a big fan of Jesus. In
fact, you might remember that the Pharisees always gave Jesus a hard time
because his teachings always went against their rules and practices. The real
reason behind the invitation was that the Pharisee wanted to get a better view
of Jesus.
When
Jesus arrived, he noticed that all of the important people in the society were
vying to get the seats closest to the guest of honour, while those of lower
classes sat at the back. The same thing happens with us. All we have to do is
remember that at many of the formal banquets that we have attended, there is
always a head table that is reserved for guests of honour and other important
people. Jesus rebuked the elite for thinking that they were better than
everyone else, and he warned them that they would be in for a big surprise in
God’s kingdom.
He
also warned the host for only inviting the elite. He urged the host to invite the
less fortunate to his table, just like he urges us to invite the poor to our
tables. In fact, Jewish law very consistently commanded care for the less
fortunate. In Leviticus 19:34, the connection is very clear, “You shall love
the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord
your God”. Jesus’ life and ministry asks us if we are doing this.
Contrary
to what it might seem Jesus’ advice has nothing to do with worldly
self-promotion. It deals with life in God’s kingdom. In God’s kingdom, there
will be a role reversal. Those who consider themselves to be first on earth
will be last in heaven, and those who are last on earth will be first in
heaven. In other words, the mighty will be humbled and the humble will be
exalted.
Imagine
this situation, if you will. A husband comes home from work on a Friday night.
As he comes into the driveway, he sees that there is a rented tent in the back
yard. Under the tent are tables and chairs for about forty people. A bandstand
and a dance floor are in one corner of the tent. Decorations are hanging
everywhere. None of this was there when the husband left for work in the
morning. Seeing all of these preparations and having them come as a surprise,
what do you think the husband might think?
One
reaction might be panic: “Good Lord! It’s our anniversary, and I’ve forgotten
about it!” After a few minutes, he might realize that it is not their
anniversary, so he might continue thinking, “I guess all this must be for a
birthday party”. Now suppose the husband walks into the backyard and finds his
wife cooking a huge pile of chickens and choice steaks. He might think, “Wow!
This is going to cost me a bundle!”
Then
suppose his wife looks up, smiles sweetly and asks, “Guess who’s coming to dinner?”
His guess might be “Relatives, friends, neighbours and business associates”.
Before he can answer, she continues, “I’ve invited twenty homeless men from the
local homeless shelter, clients of the local food bank, and residents of the
local nursing home. Don’t worry dear, you won’t know anyone, and best of all,
not a single one is likely to ever pay us back”.
This
is a call to trust God to repay what the less fortunate cannot. God will repay
us at the resurrection of the righteous. On Judgment Day, God will also repay
those who have wronged his people throughout history. The evil-doers in history
will get what they deserve, so the Hitler, Mussolini, Saddam Hussein and others
like them will get their just punishment. In fact, a good punishment for Hitler
might be for him to be made a waiter at God’s banquet and have to serve the
table of the King of the Jews. That day will be an example of the old adage,
“What goes around, comes around”.
We
are called to do more than just donate money. We are called to invite the less
fortunate to join us at our table-the most intimate place in our lives. God
calls us to kingdom values and blesses us when we seek to please God instead of
pleasing other people. We please God when we act humbly and unselfishly and in
particular when we help those who are vulnerable. Anything that we do for
someone else, especially when we do it for Jesus’ sake and without selfish
motives, will be blessed by God. This might require us to move out of our
comfort zones. Jesus warns us against moving into a comfort zone that is all
our own as though it is something we need to do. He also warns against staying
in our comfort zone once we find ourselves there. We are to follow Christ’s
example. He left comfort zones behind forever because he is now present
everywhere in judgment and in mercy.
When
Jesus told this story, I wonder if it hit its intended targets. The Pharisees
thought they were the upper crust in God’s kingdom. They were the most religious,
pious and holy people they knew, and if anyone deserved places at God’s table,
certainly it was them-at least in their minds. They had developed an attitude
of distinction, but in this Gospel reading, Jesus says, “Not so fast, folks!
There are other guests who are just as important as you. They might not look
religious, and they might not have all the right table manners, and they might
not wear the best clothes or live in the best parts of the city, but I’ve
invited them to the banquet as well. “
There
is a subtle but significant implication for the modern church too. Jesus hates
pride, but religious pride is the worst of all. When we, like the Pharisees,
think that we have a special place in God’s family because of something we’ve
done, or the particular theory we embrace, or because in our own minds we
belong to the “right” church, or the length of time we’ve been followers of
Jesus, Jesus says, “Guess what? These other guests of mine are just as
important as you are”. All of the guests will be equal. Rich and poor will sit
side by side because they are the same. Look at our cemeteries, for example.
Rich and poor are buried side by side in the cemetery. It doesn’t matter if the
cemetery is a church cemetery or a community cemetery.
The
culture we live in is very good at producing popular trends. We call it “the in
thing”. It is the “in thing” to be so focused on ourselves and our own needs
that we don’t see the bigger picture and how we can meet the needs of others.
For example, I can tell you that as a volunteer with the local food bank, I
have seen donations drop like a stone during the summer months because people
focus so much on their desire to “get away” for a vacation that they forget
that hunger never takes a holiday.
It
is the “in thing” to ignore how our actions affect our community, our church,
and our world. One only has to look at the recent oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico to see that this is true. According to reports, the oil rig explosion
that caused the spill was caused by the failure of a blowout preventer-a
failure that was reportedly caused by British Petroleum’s emphasis on profit at
the expense of preventive maintenance.
It’s
easy to follow the “in thing” without checking to see if it is what God wants
us to do. If the “in thing” in our lives is to follow God’s ways, the path will
be difficult to follow because it goes against the ways of our modern world. It
is as if we are going backward compared to the rest of the world. If we follow
God’s ways, we must look for a place where we can serve, and aim for prestige.
If he wants us to serve on a wider scale, he will invite us to take a higher
place. I honestly feel that this is what God did with me in my life. I started
my ministry in this parish as a scripture reader, and then I was invited to
become a lay reader. My lay ministry started with preparing Prayers of the
People, assisting the priest, and acting as Master of Ceremonies-ministries
that I continue to enjoy today. Finally, I felt that God was calling me to
preach. He has guided me at every step in my ministry, and he continues to do
so today. Every time I prepare a sermon, he speaks to me. Sometimes he speaks
volumes and I have to do very little research. Sometimes he says very little,
and I have to do a lot more work. It is at those times when I believe that God
is trying to teach me something, and the only way I can learn it is to embark
on a voyage of discovery by myself.
Truly
humble people recognize their gifts and strengths and are willing to use them
as God dictates. Only God knows if I truly follow into that category; but I
believe that my ministry and my secular work are steps in the right direction. We
are to use our talents as best we can since they are gifts from God and will
benefit others as well as ourselves. Some of you might know that one of my jobs
in the secular world involves doing the bookkeeping for the local Roman
Catholic Church. To some of you, it might not seem right that I, an Anglican
lay minister, should be working for another church. Well folks, I hate to tell
you this, but I do not see it that way, and neither did the Roman Catholic
priest and the head of the finance committee when I was interviewed and
hired-and neither did God. God does not see different religions such as
Anglican, United, Baptist, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army or
Disciples of Christ when he looks down on us from heaven. He only sees two
kinds of people-sinners saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, and sinners who are
on their way to hell.
Works
of charity are better than works of show. That’s why I along with one or two
other members of our parish volunteer with the local food bank. That’s why our
rector was the Chaplain for the Missions to Seafarers in the Port of Halifax,
and that is why he is the Honorary Chaplain for the Missions to Seafarers in
the Port of Liverpool/Brooklyn. We fulfill these roles not for personal
benefit, but to serve God. Those who insist on playing the game called “beat
the system” also refuse to come under God’s authority and have little
fellowship with God. They are so committed to controlling and manipulating
people and circumstances for their own gain that it is impossible for them to
yield control of their lives to God. In
order to receive our reputation from God, we have to lose the reputation we get
from the elite of our society and find it among the less fortunate.
The
“right” people will be at God’s banquet. They will be everyone who responds to
God’s invitation. The poor and the outcast will be seated next to Jesus instead
of the dignitaries, and people of position and prominence. We must not erect
social barriers that keep some people from joining us at God’s table. The less
fortunate in our society need both our natural gifts and the dignity that comes
with being acknowledged. They need the gift of our friendship, and we need them
as well. At this point in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem.
Along the way, he is showing the disciples who God is and how they are to live
a life that reflects a hospitable God. He is teaching us the same lessons
today. Are we learning the lesson?
Bibliography
1.
Charles F.
Stanley Life Principles Bible, New American Standard version
2.
Exegesis for
Luke 14:1, 7-14. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
3.
The Rev.
Charles Hoffacker, “Outside the Comfort Zone”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
4.
Pastor Steve
Molin, “Choose to Sit in the Back of the Bus”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
5.
Pastor Steve
Molin, “Friends in Low Places”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
6.
Pastor Vince
Gerhardy, “Upside Down and Back to Front”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
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ESV Study
Bible. Part of Wordsearch Bible software program.
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Life
Application Bible Notes. Part of Wordsearch Bible software program.
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Matthew Henry
Concise Commentary. Part of Wordsearch Bible software program.
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Wycliffe
Bible Commentary. Part of Wordsearch Bible software program.
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Neil
Anderson, “Beating the System”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
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Girardian
Reflections. Retrieved from www.girardian.net/year_c/proper17c.htm
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Jude
Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 22nd Sunday, Year C”. Retrieved
from www.preacherexchange.org
14.
Pamela Byers,
“Dining with Jesus”. Retrieved from www.covenantnetwork.org/sermon&papers/byers6.htm
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Richard W.
Pratt, “A Ministry of Hospitality”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
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Alex Gondola,
Jr., “Entertaining Tips for Christians”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
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Alex Gondola,
Jr., “How Not to Throw a Party”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
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Carveth
Mitchell, “The Man Who Came to Dinner”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
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King Duncan,
“Becoming One of the Beautiful People”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
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