Jesus turns the tables, part 3

Luke 14:12-24
by Brian Knitter

Luke 14:1-24 records one evening of dining and conversation. This was not just any dinner, it was a Pharisee banquet given by one of the top Pharisees, and Jesus was invited. Now that the Pharisees had encountered Jesus a number of times, they now wanted to see how they could trap Him. Jesus had already spoken to them about their misuse of the Sabbath and about being honorable, now Jesus would talk about being generous, and about heaven.

During the evening event, Jesus said that it was better to invite the crippled, blind and lame to luncheons and dinners because they could not repay you the favor. Why invite only friends who will invite you to their next party? A good deed is not a good deed if it’s done to get a reward. In inviting the outcasts, Jesus said that you would be repaid in heaven.
One of the evening guests heard this and remarked, “Blessed is everyone who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” While this might sound sincere, it really wasn’t. It was a comment made to deflect the point of Jesus’ statement and make light of what Jesus had just said; so Jesus told a story.
A man had a feast and he invited many, but none of the people who claimed to be his friends wanted to come — they all had really lame and insincere excuses — so the man sent servants to invite all the outcasts. They came. When there was still room, he sent servants out to the highways, where foreigners would be, and invited them too.
Jesus was talking about entrance into the Heavenly feast. The invited were the Pharisees, who declined because they really didn’t want to come. Their earthly importance got in the way. The outcasts heard the message from the servants (Christian friends, pastors, etc.) and came. Other servants (missionaries) were sent far away to invite foreigners to this feast. They too came.
Entrance to heaven is not based on earthly things; it’s all based on the invitation that Jesus gives us to come, and our acceptance of that offer. For those of us who have already accepted that offer, Jesus calls us to be servants who hand out that invitation to anyone we meet, both near and far. Invite someone to the party today!