Who do I like to sit next to? Luke 14:1,7-14

Luke 14:1,7-14  Gospel Reading for Sunday August 29th 2010

The rough ride through Luke's Gospel continues. Jesus' radical teachings are relentlessly challenging the people of the day in every walk of life. This Sunday Jesus is at the home of a prominent Pharisee, where he carries out another healing on the Sabbath, then proceeds to have a go at the customs and rituals surrounding mealtime and the associated seating arrangements. What is described in the parable section that starts from verse 7 would have been common place in the culture.  Jesus is reminding the guests not to be placing themselves on a pedestal of self-importance by jostling for the important seats.

Note however, that there are actually two things going on here, with a counter-cultural twist coming at the end of the parable in verse 12. It seems that Jesus is now speaking to the actual host of the dinner that he is at. We see in this postlude to the parable, a continuation of his persistent attack on the Pharisee culture. Jesus notes the selfish motives behind the Pharisee-host's guest list.

12Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Let's have a go at extrapolating this into our lives in the 21st Century. A totally literalist view would challenge us to the core. So let's set this straight. Jesus is NOT saying don't spend time dining with family, friends and neighbours. It's about underlying attitude. Jesus is stating the case against hospitality that is offered with a motivation of getting something in return. Our generosity in befriending and welcoming those around us should be on a completely "no strings attached basis". Our hospitality should be grounded  only in the principle of helping others to feel good, to feel cared for and supported. There can never be any expectation of reciprocal hospitality.

What then does this mean for us in our social environment and in the School Community? What happens when we walk into the staff room to sit down for morning tea or lunch? How often have we made a decision about where to sit, based on a guiding underlying principle of who I would like to talk to or be with rather than basing that decision on who needs to experience some hospitality here? Although we do like to spend time with our special colleagues who we class as friends and whose company we enjoy, it should not be about us feeling good. Take a look around in the staffroom or in the school-yard this week. Is there someone who really needs us to offer them genuine no-strings-attached hospitality?

As for the tricky verse 14 which has a hint of works righteousness leaking through the seams, I read that as ...

"If you get the relationship with me right, you will naturally begin to think outside yourself. The needs of others will automatically be your focus ... and you won't even know that you are operating in this fashion. This then will be a certain reflection that your life is grounded in and around me. You already know without question or doubt that you have been accepted through God's grace as one of His special people for all time."

Nev